Disney+, Hulu cancellations spike following Kimmel’s suspension

Both Hulu and Disney+ experienced a significant rise in cancellations in August, following Disney’s brief suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC. The rate of cancellations doubled for both streaming platforms, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

The cancellations come after some celebrities, including Cynthia Nixon and Howard Stern, said they were dropping their subscriptions and told others to do the same. 

The Journal looked at data from subscription analytics company Antenna. It found that the rate of customer defections for Disney+ jumped from 4% to 8%. For Hulu, the rate doubled from 5% to 10%. 

Antenna estimated that 7 million subscribers canceled in September — 3 million for Disney+ and 4.1 million for Hulu, which is also owned by the Walt Disney Co. That number is drastically larger than a previous report, which stated 1.7 million subscribers canceled their subscriptions between Sept. 17 and Sept. 23. 

How it all began

ABC and Disney suspended late-show host Jimmy Kimmel on Sept. 17 over his comments about the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

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Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue the night he returned to ABC was his most-watched on YouTube from the show’s 23-year run.

Owners of some ABC-TV affiliates — including Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair — also announced they would not carry the show.

Kimmel returned to the air about a week later, with more than three times his normal viewership. Preliminary Nielsen ratings indicated 6.3 million viewers tuned in for Kimmel’s return. That number does not include streaming figures.

Shortly after Disney put Kimmel back on air, Nexstar and Sinclair agreed to return the show to their stations. 

Subscription price hikes

A recent rise in subscription prices could also be a factor in the number of cancellations. On Sept. 24, Disney announced it was raising prices for its plans and bundles.

The Disney+ ad-supported plan rose from $9.99 to $11.99 per month. The ad-free version increased to $18.99 monthly. Bundle price changes were as follows: 

• The Disney+ and Hulu ad package will rise by $2.
• The Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN bundle will increase by $3.
• Packages that include Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max will also cost $3 more each month.

The post Disney+, Hulu cancellations spike following Kimmel’s suspension appeared first on Straight Arrow News.

Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief

Ella Greene

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