Arabella Asis Culture 12.11.2023 02:Dec AM EST

'CoComelon' Production Slashes Employee Count Amid Expansion

"CoComelon" parent company, MoonBug Entertainment, is reportedly cutting its production staff and restructuring the studio, as per Bloomberg.

MoonBug Lays Off 5% of Employees

According to the report, around 30 jobs were vacated in late October. The employees were mostly on the creative team that works on the flagship "CoComelon" YouTube channel. The studio cut off some of its writing team and designers.

In an interview, Moonbug's head of US business disclosed that the company has decided to make "little less content." For next year, viewers can expect fewer episodes and slower creation on the spin-off channels for the characters on the show.

CoComelon is currently the third most popular streaming TV show in the US. The company also partnered with Netflix for the "CoComelon Lane." However, several media companies have been facing the same dilemma of trimming expenses and meeting high expectations.

'CoComelon' Remains Strong Presence to Audience

When the studio entered 2023, it had big plans to increase production for the series, spanning from four times a week across its channel. The company scaled the process by firing staff on its in-house animation team in January. Moonbug then outsourced it to Canada, France, and India.

According to CEO René Rechtman, outsourcing is part of the company's strategic measure within the industry. The company hired Canada's Mainframe Studios and India's Green Gold Animation Pvt.

Aside from layoffs, the remaining employees have also complained of burnout and low compensation. For instance, many of the staff had taken lower pay when compared to other animation houses.

Moonbug is yet to announce its final number of episodes for 2024 but the company has promised to develop better shows with fewer people.