Hollywood
Disney pacts with China’s Youku Tudou to market Marvel films online
MUMBAI: Disney and China’s online video platform Youku Tudou have partnered, wherein the latter will be the exclusive online movie marketing platform in China for Marvel collection of movies and TV series.
Youku Tudou will drive online marketing through promotion of trailers, online ticketing, live events and original programming dedicated to silver screen movies.
Youku Tudou’s strength as the leading online movie marketing platform in China comes from its market position. Leveraging its 500 million unique monthly users across screens, marketing efforts are able to disseminate across Youku Tudou’s media and entertainment ecosystem resulting in greater audience impact than traditional offline movie advertising.
Disney and Marvel titles resonate with Youku Tudou’s audience with over 530 million cumulative views of titles across movies, television series, trailers, Youku Tudou original productions, and live-streaming.
Online marketing efforts contributed to boosting the box office revenue of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Guardians of the Galaxy and in the case of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, to almost 800 million, compared to 80 million RMB of the previous installment of the franchise in China. The trailers and Youku Original productions for Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy have over 41 million cumulative views with over 15.8 million combined movie VOD views on the Youku Tudou platform. The Avengers: Age of Ultron trailers and Youku Original productions have received over 25.7 million cumulative views with the movie currently in theaters.
“We are committed to expanding our media and entertainment ecosystem by working with strong partners. These partnerships, like the one with Disney, are multifold and give Youku Tudou the opportunity to use its strengths to further its business model and drive future revenue streams through high-quality content, innovative marketing efforts, and merchandising channels,” said Youku Tudou chairman and CEO Victor Koo.
Hollywood
Disney to cut 1,000 jobs in major restructuring drive
Layoffs span ESPN, studios and tech as company pivots to growth
MUMBAI: The magic isn’t disappearing but it is being reorganised. The Walt Disney Company has announced plans to cut around 1,000 jobs as part of a sweeping restructuring effort aimed at sharpening its edge in an increasingly unpredictable entertainment landscape. The move, led by CEO Josh D’Amaro, reflects a broader internal reset as the company rethinks how it operates, allocates resources and competes in a fast-evolving industry. In a memo to employees, D’Amaro acknowledged the difficulty of the decision but framed it as a necessary step to ensure Disney remains “efficient, innovative, and responsive” to rapid shifts in consumer behaviour and technology.
The layoffs will span multiple divisions, including marketing, film and television studios, ESPN, technology teams and corporate functions. Notifications have already begun, signalling that the restructuring is not a distant plan but an active transition underway.
Importantly, the company has clarified that the cuts are not performance-driven. Instead, they form part of a wider transformation strategy aimed at building a leaner, more agile organisation, one better equipped to respond to streaming dynamics, digital disruption and evolving audience expectations.
The timing is telling. The global entertainment industry is in the middle of a structural shift, with traditional television revenues under pressure and box office returns becoming increasingly volatile. Meanwhile, streaming platforms and digital-first competitors continue to redraw the rules of engagement, forcing legacy players to rethink scale, speed and storytelling formats.
For Disney, long synonymous with blockbuster franchises and timeless storytelling, the pivot is both strategic and symbolic. The company is doubling down on technology, direct-to-consumer services and content ecosystems that align with modern viewing habits, where audiences expect immediacy, personalisation and cross-platform experiences.
Even as the restructuring unfolds, D’Amaro struck a note of optimism, reiterating Disney’s commitment to creativity and long-term growth. Support measures for affected employees are expected as part of the transition, though details remain limited.
In essence, this is less about cutting back and more about reshaping forward. As Disney redraws its organisational map, the message is clear, in today’s entertainment world, even the most magical kingdoms must evolve or risk being left behind.
