Disney+, Hulu Cancellations Doubled in Wake of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Suspension Drama

After ABC announced they were suspending Jimmy Kimmel Live! “Indefinitely” on September 17, fans were quick to call for a boycott of the Disney company.

Millions of users canceled their subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu as a result of the suspension, according to a new report published by Variety on Tuesday, October 21.

In the U.S., Disney+ saw a cancellation rate of 8 percent for September, doubling the 4 percent rate for July and August. Hulu also saw a similar fate, with a cancellation rate of 10 percent in September being double that of July and August, according to research firm Antenna, per Variety.

The firm also noted that both Disney+ and Hulu saw a spike in sign-ups for September compared to the previous two months. (Disney+ reportedly had 2.18 million new subscribers while Hulu had 2.11 million new subscribers.)

Jimmy Kimmel Live! was taken off the air last month after pressure from station owners and the FCC due to comments made by the host that were deemed “insensitive.” ABC pulled the plug on the long-running late-night series but backtracked days later. The show returned to the air on September 23 and broke records for the highest-rated episode in the series’ 20-plus year history, despite Nexstar and Sinclair refusing to air the episode across their ABC stations at the time.

In addition to the controversial suspension, Disney+ also raised their prices for their streaming plans in September, which may have contributed to the cancellation rate.