Disney+ and Hulu suffer major blow as millions of irate fans reportedly close their accounts over Jimmy Kimmel row
- Disney has the cost of a week-long suspension of the Talk-Show host Jimmy Kimmel
- The entertainment giant would have lost 1.7 million users when it was out of the air
- Furious fans have closed their Disney +, Hulu and Espn accounts in the middle of the row
Disney apparently felt the full force of the power of fans after millions of people canceled their streaming subscriptions in the middle of the saga of Jimmy Kimmel.
Yesterday (September 29), a new report by the freelance journalist Marisa Kabas, who owns and manages the Newsletter Handbasket, seemed to expose the cost of a week’s suspension of the host of the American television program.
For those who could have missed one of the biggest stories of entertainment in recent times: on September 17, Kimmel, who welcomes Jimmy Kimmel Live!Was withdrawn from the public’s view for comments he made on Charlie Kirk during the September 15 edition of his talk show. The controversial political activist was assassinated during a visit to the University of Utah Valley on September 10.
In the midst of the furious reaction in Kimmel’s temporary dismissal, Disney + Angry Disney + and Hulu users voted with their wallets and canceled their subscriptions to help Disney to restore the popular artist. Almost a week after Kimmel was withdrawn from the presentation of tasks, and in the middle of the growing pressure of Hollywood stars and Disney shareholders, Disney restored the personality of veteran television.
Scoop / Update – Disney experienced more than 1.7 million paid streaming annegations during the period 9 / 17-9/23, a Disney source confirmed to me. The total includes Disney +, Hulu and ESPN.
– @ marisakabas.bsky.social ( @ marisakabas.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-09-30t09: 42: 18.209Z
The complete impact of this cancellation campaign emerged following the Kimmel saga. Holding in Bluesky yesterday (September 29), Kabas suggested that 1.7 million people canceled their Disney +subscriptions, Hulu and ESPN after Kimmel was temporarily withdrawn from the air. It is 700,000 more users than Kabas previously reported in the September 23, 2025 edition of his online newsletter.
This figure of almost two million may seem to be a drop in the ocean for a Titan like Disney. After all, in August 2025, when Disney published his winning report in the third quarter of 2025, he had a combined total of 207.4 million users on Disney +, Hulu and ESPN.
The context of this decrease of 1.7 million, however, is extremely significant. Indeed, according to the source of Kabas, Disney would have lost only many subscribers during the period of seven days scheduled from September 17 to 23.
To further highlight the effect that this mass exodus seems to have had, Reddit users have indicated the impact on Disney finances. If, as some commentators have suggested, these 1.7 million people have been registered at Disney + the cheapest level – that is to say the option supported by advertising – Disney has just reduced its guaranteed monthly income by $ 17 million.
Of course, the situation can be heavier than that. Some of those who have moved away from some of the best streaming services in the world would have been subscribed to the most expensive advertising levels of each platform, or even one of the mega-bundles in Disney. It is therefore possible that the entertainment giant has lost even more money than many think it.
Disney problems are also far from over. By deadline, unleashed shareholders continue to demand responses on the company’s treatment of the situation of Kimmel, some even preparing to set up a legal challenge on a strong slowdown in the value of their actions after the row.
Meanwhile, the price of each Disney + and Hulu level should increase again compared to October 21, which could lead to new subscription cancellations. Indeed, some users could consider the price increases now annual as too much for them and choose to close their accounts in the middle of the streaming service costs.
It would be fascinating to learn the number of subscribers that Disney has lost in all areas when its revenues from the fourth quarter 2025 will be published. Unfortunately, the company will no longer publish this data publicly (by variety), so we will never know how difficult it was on the media storm that wrapped it and Jimmy Kimmel.
You might also love
