Hundreds Laid Off At WarnerMedia

LOS ANGELES, CA — WarnerMedia has begun laying off hundreds of employees, the majority of them at Warner Bros. Entertainment, it was reported Monday.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, pink slips were handed out in departments encompassing film and TV Monday after a few days after top officials were ousted Friday. The layoffs come as the pandemic has gutted the entertainment industry with theaters shut down and filming largely on hold in Los Angeles. According to the New York Times, roughly 600 people will be included in the first round of layoffs.

The layoffs and the shakeup at the top are part of an effort to shift focus to WarnerMedia’s new streaming service, HBO Max, which had a massive first-month for new subscribers with 4.1 million people signing up, according to the New York Times.

At the time of publication Patch calls to WarnerMedia and Warner Bros. Entertainment had not been returned.