Disney+, Hulu cancellations jump after Jimmy Kimmel Live! suspension
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Jimmy Kimmel’s show returned on Sept 23 while cancellations were offset by a healthy number of new subscriptions..
PHOTO: ABC
Brooks Barnes
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LOS ANGELES – Disney+ and Hulu customers cancelled their subscriptions in droves in September, according to independent data released on Oct 20, an apparent reaction to Disney temporarily pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air
About three million Americans cancelled Disney+ in September, up from a three-month average of 1.2 million, according to Antenna, a subscription research firm. Disney-owned Hulu had roughly 4.1 million cancellations in the United States, up from 1.9 million.
The numbers offered the first glimpse at the economic fallout for Disney from the Jimmy Kimmel Live! dispute. The company pulled the show on Sept 17 after growing criticism, including by a top federal regulator, over comments he made during his show about a man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The show’s suspension set off a national debate about free speech and the Trump administration’s attacks on the media.
People angry about Disney’s action began calling for a boycott of its products, in particular its streaming services.
Tatiana Maslany, who starred in the Disney+ show She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, posted on her Instagram account: “Cancel your @disneyplus @hulu @espn subscriptions!”
Kimmel’s show returned on Sept 23
Churn, the entertainment industry’s dreaded term for the percentage of subscribers who cancel monthly, spiked to 8 per cent for Disney+ and 10 per cent for Hulu.
In August, Disney said it had about 184 million subscriptions across Disney+ and Hulu.
The Antenna report was not entirely negative for Disney. Cancellations were offset by a healthy number of new subscriptions.
About 2.2 million people in the US subscribed to Disney+ in September through either a paid plan or a free trial, a 10 per cent increase from a month earlier.
Hulu had about 2.1 million new subscribers, a 5 per cent growth.
The sign-ups could have been a result of blowback to the blowback – people who agreed with Disney’s decision to suspend Kimmel and were supporting it with their wallets.
Or they could have resulted from Disney’s intensifying effort to attract customers with its discounted “bundle” of services that include Disney+, Hulu and a new ESPN streaming app. Notably, ESPN began streaming its full line-up of NFL games in September.
Factors beyond the Kimmel crisis may have resulted in higher Disney+ and Hulu defections. On the same day that the suspension for Jimmy Kimmel Live! ended, Disney pushed forward with a previously planned decision to increase subscription prices for a fourth consecutive year.
Like many of its competitors, Disney has been under pressure from shareholders to bolster streaming profit.
The price increases go into effect on Oct 21 and vary depending on the plan. The stand-alone Disney+ advertisement-supported plan, for instance, will cost US$12 (S$15.5) per month, US$2 more than before, while the premium no-advertisement plan will be US$19 per month, up US$3.
In an e-mail notifying subscribers of the price jumps, Disney said the move would allow for more original shows, among other benefits.
However, it was clear that the cancellations were mostly about Kimmel. In 2024, Disney announced price increases in August and activated them in October. Churn increased over those months but minimally, according to data by Antenna. NYTIMES
