GoPro trims staff ahead of launch
GoPro announced a restructuring that will cut roughly 23% of its workforce as it prepares for a major camera launch, signalling pressure in the action-camera market. The move highlights that not all hardware categories are stable, which can change the partnership landscape for creators who rely on gear brand deals. It’s a reminder that some hardware partners may be reevaluating budgets even as product cycles continue. (digitalcameraworld.com)
GoPro is cutting about 145 jobs, or roughly 23% of its staff, just 12 days before it plans to unveil a new camera line at the National Association of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas on April 19, 2026. The board approved the restructuring on April 7, and the company said the cuts will be carried out in the second quarter and be mostly finished by the end of 2026. (theglobeandmail.com) GoPro said the layoffs are meant to cut operating costs and improve “operating leverage,” which is corporate shorthand for trying to keep more profit from each dollar of sales. The company expects the restructuring to cost $11.5 million to $15 million, mostly for severance and healthcare, with the biggest cash hit landing in the third and fourth quarters of 2026. (petapixel.com) This is not a company shrinking after a blockbuster year. GoPro reported $652 million in revenue for 2025, down from $801 million in 2024, and it posted a fourth-quarter net loss of $9.1 million in the quarter that usually carries holiday camera sales. (investor.gopro.com, investor.gopro.com) The pressure has been building for a while. In the second quarter of 2025, GoPro sold through about 500,000 cameras, down 23% from a year earlier, while subscription and service revenue stayed flat at $26 million and subscriber count slipped to 2.45 million. (investor.gopro.com) GoPro is still betting that new hardware can change the story. On March 25, it said it would debut a new generation of cameras at the 2026 National Association of Broadcasters Show, all powered by its new GP3 processor, with larger sensors, better low-light performance, higher resolution, and higher frame rates. (gopro.com) That launch matters because action cameras are no longer a category GoPro gets to own by default. The company is fighting for attention against Insta360 and DJI, while ordinary smartphones have also absorbed a lot of casual video shooting that once pushed people toward a dedicated camera. (petapixel.com, investor.gopro.com) GoPro has been trying to cushion that hardware volatility with subscriptions, cloud tools, and services. In 2025, subscription and service revenue held at $106 million even as total company revenue fell, which means that side of the business is steadier than camera sales but still not large enough to offset a weak device cycle on its own. (investor.gopro.com) So the picture is awkward but clear: GoPro is cutting nearly a quarter of its workforce while asking the market to believe its next cameras open a new chapter. If the GP3 launch lands, the company buys time; if it misses, GoPro will be trying to defend a shrinking camera business with fewer people and less room for error. (theglobeandmail.com, gopro.com, investor.gopro.com)
