Rise in Disney+ and Hulu cancellations following ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ briefly pulled

Data from Antenna, a subscription analytics company, showed that Disney+ and Hulu saw an increase in cancellations when ABC briefly pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air. The show was temporarily suspended in September due to backlash over comments made regarding the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

During September, Hulu experienced 4.1 million cancellations, while Disney+ saw 3 million cancellations. The churn rate, which represents the percentage of subscribers canceling in a specific month, soared from 5% to 10% for Hulu and from 4% to 8% for Disney+ in August to September.

Despite the rise in cancellations, both Hulu and Disney+ witnessed higher signups in September compared to the previous five months. According to Antenna, a subscription analytics company focusing on U.S. consumer data, these numbers do not include subscribers who are part of bundle deals.

As of June 28, Disney reported a combined total of 183 million subscriptions for Disney+ and Hulu. Disney has chosen not to provide a comment on these findings.