It’s Official: Jimmy Kimmel Suspension Did Spark Surge in Disney+ and Hulu Cancellations

Disney+ and Hulu saw a sharp increase in subscription cancellations after Jimmy Kimmel’s brief suspension from ABC, according to data from subscription analytics firm Antenna.

The report shows that monthly churn rates for Disney+ jumped from 4 percent in August to 8 percent in September, while Hulu’s churn rose from 5 percent to 10 percent.

Normally, streaming services have relatively steady cancellation rates. Disney+ had been holding around 3 to 4 percent per month, and Hulu hovered between 4 and 5 percent. Other platforms, like Peacock, Paramount+, and HBO Max, stayed in their usual ranges, while Netflix consistently maintained a low 2 percent churn rate.

A source familiar with the situation noted that the spike in cancellations settled quickly. “People tend to be loud when dropping a service, but they often quietly return afterward,” the source said. Ratings for Kimmel’s show have also increased since he returned to the air.

The Antenna data comes with some caveats. A Disney source pointed out that it’s unclear how Antenna counts upgrades or downgrades in Disney’s overall subscription business. The reported churn rates also appear higher than Disney’s internal figures. It’s uncertain how many of the cancellations were specifically due to Kimmel’s suspension versus other factors, like planned price increases.

Kimmel was suspended from his ABC late-night show following a comment on the September 15 edition of Jimmy Kimmel Live! about Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin.

The remark, which went viral, was widely criticized online for appearing to suggest the suspect was a MAGA supporter, even though that wasn’t true. The suspension lasted less than a week before Kimmel returned to the air.

The backlash on social media included calls for users to cancel Disney+ subscriptions in protest. Influential media personalities, including Howard Stern, publicly said they had canceled their subscriptions over Kimmel’s suspension. “I had canceled Disney+ in protest of the move by Disney,” Stern said on his show.

While it’s difficult to know the exact impact on Disney’s bottom line, the Antenna data suggests the sudden spike in cancellations could equal roughly three million lost subscribers.

However, due to billing cycles, these numbers may not appear in Disney’s next earnings report. Disney has also announced that it will stop publicly reporting subscriber totals in future reports.

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