Disney+ and Hulu Cancellations Increased Due to Brief ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Suspension

Disney+ and Hulu saw an increase in subscription cancellations when ABC briefly pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air, according to data from subscription analytics company Antenna. Both Disney+ and Hulu are owned by Walt Disney Co., which also owns ABC.

In September, ABC temporarily removed “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” following backlash over remarks made by the host regarding the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. During this time, Antenna estimates that Hulu experienced 4.1 million cancellations and Disney+ saw 3 million cancellations. The churn rate, or the percentage of customers canceling their subscriptions in a specific month, doubled from 5% in August to 10% in September for Hulu, and increased from 4% to 8% for Disney+.

Despite the cancellations, both Hulu and Disney+ saw higher sign-ups in September compared to the previous five months. It’s worth noting that Antenna’s data excludes subscribers who are part of bundle deals.

As of the most recent earnings report for the quarter ended June 28, Disney reported a total of 183 million Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions. Disney has chosen not to comment on the increase in cancellations during the period in question.

It’s clear from the data that the brief removal of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” had an impact on Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions, but it’s also evident that both platforms continue to attract new subscribers. While cancellations rose temporarily, the overall number of subscriptions remains substantial, indicating ongoing interest in the streaming services.