More than five dozen staffers at HBO Max have been laid off as part of the company’s restructuring and a cost-cutting effort by its parent company, according to multiple reports.
The layoffs, which effect nearly 15 percent of all employees who report to Casey Bloys, chief content officer at HBO and HBO Max, totaled about 70 people, The New York Times reported.
Monday’s layoffs come as Warner Bros. Discovery, the same media conglomerate that owns cable news giant CNN and took over as HBO’s parent company earlier this year, is looking to make a dent in the $50 billion debt it is currently saddled with, the Times reported.
Layoffs within the Warner Bros. Discovery conglomerate have been widely expected in areas of overlap since the merger with AT&T went through.
Monday’s layoffs will most severely impact HBO Max’s live-action family originals department, Variety reported, noting a joint HBO Max-Discovery+ streaming service is slated to launch next summer.
Warner Bros. Discovery did not immediately respond to a request for comment.