Disney's brief suspension of Jimmy Kimmel in September has led to a sharp increase in cancellations for its streaming services Disney+ and Hulu, according to data from analytics firm Antenna. Cancellation rates for Disney+ rose from 4% in August to 8% in September, while Hulu's rate jumped from 5% to 10% over the same period.
The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on 17 September followed pressure from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) after Kimmel's monologue accusing Donald Trump's movement of exploiting the killing of Charlie Kirk for political gain. FCC Chair Brendan Carr had criticised late-night hosts for enforcing a narrow political ideology.
After widespread backlash and an open letter signed by over 400 Hollywood stars, Disney reinstated Kimmel's show. Kimmel's return monologue, defending free speech and clarifying his remarks, became his most-viewed ever on YouTube with over 15 million views in 16 hours. It also achieved record broadcast numbers despite being preempted by some Sinclair and Nexstar affiliates.
The doubled churn rates resulted in an estimated loss of about 3 million subscribers, according to Antenna data reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Disney has previously announced it will stop reporting subscriber numbers in its next earnings report.
