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Following the controversial suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night program on ABC, both Disney+ and Hulu experienced a significant surge in subscription cancellations across the U.S. Data from the analytics firm Antenna reveals that the monthly cancellation rate for these prominent streaming services effectively doubled. In September alone, an estimated 3 million Disney+ subscribers and 4.1 million Hulu subscribers opted to cancel their services.
Specifically, Disney+’s cancellation rate jumped to 8% in September, a stark increase from its 4% average in July and August. Similarly, Hulu saw its cancellation rate double from 5% in the preceding two months to an impactful 10% during September.
Despite this substantial exodus, both streaming platforms still managed to attract a modest number of new subscribers. Disney+ welcomed approximately 2.2 million new sign-ups in September, an uptick from 2 million in August and 1.6 million in July. Hulu also recorded 2.1 million new subscriptions, increasing from 2 million in August and 1.7 million in July.
The Controversy Surrounding Jimmy Kimmel
The catalyst for this subscriber shift traces back to mid-September, when Jimmy Kimmel Live! was temporarily removed from ABC’s schedule. This action followed comments made by Kimmel regarding the death of Charlie Kirk, a prominent MAGA influencer who was fatally shot at a Utah university on September 10th. While many considered Kimmel’s remarks neither shocking nor inappropriate, certain right-wing figures, including influencer Benny Johnson, vehemently condemned them as outrageous.
The controversy escalated when Benny Johnson hosted Brendan Carr, the Trump-aligned FCC chairman, on his podcast. During the broadcast, Carr reportedly issued veiled threats, suggesting the FCC would exert pressure on television stations to remove the popular comedian. Consequently, major broadcast companies like Sinclair and Nexstar, which operate numerous ABC affiliates, pulled Kimmel’s show in various markets. ABC itself followed suit, suspending the program nationwide for a full week before its eventual reinstatement.
Upon his return, Kimmel addressed the situation in a heartfelt monologue, notably without offering an explicit apology for his earlier remarks. He swiftly resumed his characteristic humor, often targeting former President Trump, whom he characterized as believing he could dictate television content to American audiences. Trump has previously asserted that TV networks critical of him should face license revocation.
Boycott Impact and Broader Implications
While Antenna’s data does not specify the reasons behind individual cancellations, widespread calls for a boycott of Disney+ and Hulu were prominent and trending across social media platforms such as Bluesky and X. This suggests that the organized boycott campaign may have successfully impacted subscriber numbers in this particular case.
The pressure from political figures also extended to CBS, where similar calls for a boycott emerged after former President Trump’s alleged influence led to the non-renewal of late-night host Stephen Colbert’s contract. Colbert is set to depart in May 2026, and until then, he is expected to continue his satirical commentary, often aimed at Trump and political developments in the U.S.