Comcast’s NBCUniversal is cutting a few hundred streaming tech staffers, Business Insider has learned.
The layoffs will impact NBCU’s global streaming technology group, which includes the engineering and quality assurance teams, three people familiar with the changes said.
Most of the cuts are at Sky, Comcast’s European media arm, though a person briefed on the change said that some US-based workers at NBCU will be affected.
Comcast is preparing to spin off NBCU, with its streamers and studio, from its cable and internet businesses next summer.
Traditional media companies are cutting costs as they face pressure to please Wall Street, while competing with deep-pocketed, tech-forward rivals like Netflix and YouTube. NBCU’s streaming cuts come months after its US streamer, Peacock, became profitable on an adjusted EBITDA basis for the first time.
“As NBCUniversal and Sky continue to invest in our streaming products and technology, we are proposing changes to our Global Streaming Technology organization, which will impact some roles,” an NBCU spokesperson said in a statement. “This evolution will ensure we have the right structure and resources in place for future growth and enable us to better serve our customers and partners.”
Employees affected by the downsizing were informed of the cuts on Wednesday, people familiar with the move said. UK labor laws require that staffers affected by cuts undergo a consultation process, meaning their dismissals won’t take effect immediately. Those processes began yesterday, a person familiar with the cuts said.
A Peacock tech employee said that they’re “still happy” at NBCU despite the cuts, though they’re uncertain about the future as the media company prepares for life without Comcast.
“Layoffs on the tech side make me question how we will hit our big goals for 2027, such as decoupling from Comcast and incorporating ITV into the platform,” this person said.
NBCU let go of dozens of employees in March following the closure of Showmax, an African streaming service it operated with French broadcaster Canal+.
Some of its rivals have also made cuts. Disney had its third layoff round since April earlier this week, and Paramount Skydance is widely anticipated to cut staff after it buys Warner Bros. Discovery in a $110 billion deal that CEO David Ellison has said will include $6 billion in expected cost savings.
