BuzzFeed is laying off approximately 180 employees—about 35% of its workforce—across BuzzFeed, HuffPost, and Tasty as part of a major restructuring under new majority owner Byron Allen. The digital media company, which had roughly 510 employees across all units before the cuts, disclosed the workforce reduction in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Monday.
The plan aims to streamline operations, cut expenses, and put the company on a path to profitability and positive cash flow. BuzzFeed expects $29 million to $32 million in annualized savings from the move and anticipates $6.5 million to $8.5 million in related restructuring charges, mostly in the third quarter of 2026.
In a memo to staff, company leadership described the changes as “required to put our business on a path to profitable and sustainable growth.” The note referenced earlier warnings of substantial doubt about BuzzFeed’s ability to continue as a going concern and credited Allen’s rapid investment of about $26 million with helping stabilize the firm.
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| Byron Allen |
The transaction was financed with $20 million in cash and a $100 million promissory note. Allen has expressed plans to transform BuzzFeed and HuffPost into a free-streaming platform featuring premium and user-generated content. The layoffs mark the first significant restructuring of Allen’s ownership tenure and come amid ongoing financial pressures at the once high-flying digital publisher, known for quizzes, viral videos, and lifestyle content. As of the end of 2025, BuzzFeed reported 507 employees across five countries.