Millions dropped Disney/Hulu after Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension

The Disney+ and Hulu streaming platforms lost millions of subscribers amid ABC’s suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last month, new data shows.

Findings released Monday from subscription analytics firm Antenna revealed that roughly three million Americans canceled Disney+ and 4.1 million canceled Hulu in the aftermath of Disney/ABC pulling the plug on the popular late night show hosted by Kimmel.

The surge in cancellations doubled from August to September — from 4 and 5% to 8 and 10%, respectively. Churn rates, a term for the percentage of subscribers who cancel monthly, have leveled at 3-4% for Disney+ all year, with Hulu at 4-5%.

Disney properties became the subject of widespread backlash after ABC’s decision to suspend Kimmel on Sept. 17 amid pressure from the Federal Communications Commission for a comment the host made about conservatives’ reactions to the shooting of right wing provocateur Charlie Kirk.

Less than a week later, the broadcast giant brought Kimmel back to the airwaves on Sept. 23, with the show delivering record high TV ratings despite Nexstar Media and Sinclair Broadcasting Group — which operate a combined 72 ABC stations nationwide — continuing to ban “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from their stations.

Antenna also reported that about 2.2 million people in the United States subscribed to Disney+ in September through either a paid plan or a free trial — 10 percent higher from a month earlier. Hulu saw a 5 percent increase with 2.1 million new subscribers.

A Disney source classified Antenna’s numbers as simply estimates, claiming the company’s own data shows lower numbers for the platform’s subscription cancellations.

As “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” returned to air, Disney announced it will raise the subscription prices for its streaming services, set to go into effect for new subscribers beginning Oct. 21.

Current subscribers will see the change to their first bill on or after that date.