The entertainment industry faced a difficult 2025, with more than 17,000 jobs lost across television, film, broadcasting, news and streaming.
The figure rose 18% from the previous year. It continues a wider trend of job cuts as companies deal with consolidation, restructuring and changing consumer habits.
The entertainment industry also continues to feel the impact of the 2023 Hollywood strikes. At the same time, companies are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
Some staggering figures
News organisations recorded 2,254 job cuts during the year, according to figures tracked by executive outplacement firm Challenger. The figure includes jobs across broadcast, digital and print media.
Companies announced 179 of those cuts in November alone.
November also proved difficult for the wider US job market. Employers announced more than 71,000 layoffs during the month, making it the second-highest monthly total in five years, according to Challenger.
Major restructuring has driven many of the entertainment industry job losses.
Paramount and Skydance completed their merger in July. David Ellison took over as CEO, while the company began a major cost-cutting programme.
The restructuring resulted in about 2,000 layoffs. Skydance also targeted more than $2 billion in cost savings.
Paramount’s October layoffs affected employees across CBS Entertainment, Paramount+, MTV, BET and other divisions.
Warner Bros. also cut more than 100 jobs in June. The company announced plans to reorganise its cable news operations as part of a broader business transformation.
The changes affected several cable television brands, including TNT, TBS, CNN, Food Network, Discovery, TLC, Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies.
Film production also faced pressure in Los Angeles.
On-location production in the Los Angeles area fell 13.2% between July and September compared with the same period a year earlier, according to FilmLA.
“There are far fewer film projects being made in Los Angeles than there were in the recent past,” FilmLA Vice President of Communications Philip Sokoloski said.
He also argued that stronger incentives could help protect film jobs and support California’s economy.
The decline in production adds another challenge for workers who already face uncertainty across the entertainment sector.
Not only restructuring and consolidation issues, but AI
Restructuring is not the only factor affecting employment. Artificial intelligence has also become a major concern for workers across the entertainment and media industries.
Challenger attributed 6,280 job cuts to AI in November. The firm reported that AI had been linked to nearly 55,000 announced layoff plans across industries during the year.
The rapid development of AI has sparked a wider debate about job security.
Companies can use AI to automate certain tasks and reduce operating costs. That shift has raised concerns about the future of entry-level and creative roles.
New York became the first US state to require employers to disclose when AI contributes to layoffs. The move reflects growing concerns about how companies use the technology in the workplace.
The journalism sector faces similar questions.
A report from Columbia University’s journalism school said AI currently supports some news workers rather than simply replacing them. However, the report also warned that the technology could eventually reduce the number of people needed for some journalism jobs.
For entertainment and media workers, the challenge is therefore bigger than the latest round of layoffs.
Companies must balance cost savings with the need to maintain creative talent. Meanwhile, workers face a rapidly changing industry shaped by consolidation, reduced production and advances in AI.
The more than 17,000 entertainment industry job losses recorded in 2025 highlight the scale of that transformation. The trend could continue to shape hiring, production and career opportunities across the sector in the years ahead.
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