Disney’s temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, following pressure from the Trump administration, appears to have significantly affected the company’s subscription numbers. Data from Antenna, an analytics firm tracking streaming services, indicates that cancellation rates for Disney+ and Hulu doubled in September, rising from 4% and 5% in August to 8% and 10%, respectively. Historically, churn rates for Disney+ had remained stable at 3-4%, while Hulu’s rates fluctuated between 4-5%.
The increase in cancellations coincided with Disney’s decision on September 17 to suspend “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” This suspension was influenced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which criticized Kimmel for comments made during his monologue that targeted Donald Trump’s political movement. FCC Chair Brendan Carr described late-night hosts like Kimmel as transitioning from entertainers to enforcers of specific political ideologies.
Following backlash, including an open letter signed by over 400 Hollywood figures, Disney reinstated Kimmel’s show a few days later. The company stated that the initial suspension was intended to avoid escalating tensions. Upon returning to air, Kimmel delivered a monologue that quickly became his most viewed on YouTube, exceeding 15 million views in just 16 hours.
Kimmel’s return also generated record broadcast numbers, despite not being aired on several ABC affiliate stations due to a boycott related to a merger involving Sinclair and Nexstar. However, the affiliates eventually allowed the show back on air following discussions with Disney.
While the influence of calls for a Disney boycott remains uncertain, the data suggests that the public’s reaction may have contributed to the spike in cancellations, resulting in an estimated loss of about 3 million subscribers. Disney has announced it will discontinue reporting subscriber numbers in future earnings reports.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/oct/20/disney-hulu-cancelled-subscriptions-jimmy-kimmel-suspension