Antenna: Millions Cancel Disney+, Hulu After Kimmel Suspension

Independent subscription tracker Antenna said roughly 3 million Disney+ and 4.1 million Hulu cancellations occurred in September after ABC briefly suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! over his remarks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Antenna reported that monthly churn roughly doubled to about 8% for Disney+ and 10% for Hulu. Despite the cancellations, both services posted net additions in September—about 2.2 million for Disney+ and 2.1 million for Hulu—and Kimmel’s Sept. 23 return drew one of the show’s highest-rated episodes, although some affiliates including Nexstar and Sinclair continued to pre-empt the program. Disney has pushed back on Antenna’s totals as higher than its internal figures and said other factors, including recent price increases and promotional bundles tied to NFL coverage, may have influenced subscriber behavior. The net business impact remained uncertain as gains and losses partially offset one another while the dispute spurred broader debate and boycott calls.