Disney+ and Hulu cancellations increase following Jimmy Kimmel controversy
Subscription cancellations for Disney+ and Hulu saw an uptick when ABC briefly pulled the plug on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in September, according to data from subscription analytics company Antenna. The show was taken off the air for less than a week amidst criticism over comments made by host Jimmy Kimmel.
During that month, Antenna estimates that Hulu saw 4.1 million cancellations, while Disney+ experienced 3 million cancellations. The “churn rate,” representing the percentage of customers who cancel their subscriptions in a given month, doubled from 5% in August to 10% in September for Hulu. Similarly, Disney+ saw an increase from 4% to 8% during the same period.
Despite the rise in cancellations, both Hulu and Disney+ saw an increase in new sign-ups in September compared to the previous five months. Walt Disney Co., the parent company of ABC and the streaming platforms, reported a total of 183 million subscriptions for Disney+ and Hulu in their most recent earnings report for the quarter ending June 28.
It’s important to note that the data provided by Antenna excludes subscribers who are part of bundle deals. Disney declined to comment on the situation.
Overall, these numbers suggest that there was a noticeable impact on subscription numbers for Disney+ and Hulu following the temporary pause of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in September.
