Here’s how many people unsubscribed to Disney+ after Kimmel suspension

The latest subscription cancellation figures for Disney+ and Hulu following the Jimmy Kimmel suspension backlash paint a stunning picture: millions have walked away.

When Disney temporarily suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last month, about three million Disney+ customers and more than four million Hulu customers canceled their subscriptions, according to new data.

— The New York Times (@nytimes.com) 2025-10-20T18:00:07.806646Z

According to the The New York Times, around 3 million U.S. subscribers cancelled their Disney+ accounts and approximately 4 million abandoned Hulu amid what analysts are calling one of the most dramatic subscriber exoduses in recent streaming history.

The Kimmel Controversy: From Suspension to Record-Breaking Return

The controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel began on September 15, when the late-night host delivered a monologue reacting to the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Kimmel criticized Donald Trump’s response to the killing, arguing that the former president was using the tragedy for political gain, remarks that quickly drew outrage from conservative media and Trump supporters.

Just two days later, on September 17, ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Company, abruptly pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air, citing «ongoing review.» The decision came amid mounting political pressure and complaints reportedly lodged with the Federal Communications Commission. The move was widely seen as a capitulation to political interests, sparking immediate outrage from viewers and fellow entertainers.

Protests erupted outside Disney and ABC studios across several cities. Online, the hashtags #CancelDisneyPlus and #CancelHulu surged as millions of users joined a coordinated boycott against Disney’s streaming platforms. According to analytics firm Antenna, the backlash translated into a staggering wave of cancellations, an estimated 3 million Disney+ and 4 million Hulu subscriptions lost in just a few weeks, effectively doubling both platforms’ churn rates.

«That’s not legal, that’s not American, that is un-American and it is so dangerous.»

6 million viewers

Under growing public and media pressure, Disney announced Kimmel’s reinstatement on September 22, and the show returned to air the following night. Despite initial refusals from some local affiliates to broadcast the episode, Jimmy Kimmel Live! made a triumphant comeback, drawing over 6 million viewers, the program’s highest ratings in nearly a decade.

Speaking with a mix of emotion and defiance, Kimmel tore into the president’s attempts to silence him, describing how the threats extended far beyond a personal attack to include ABC, the constitutional right of free expression, and even the role of the press itself in a functioning democracy.

Kimmel criticized the Trump administration for trying to coerce affiliates who run his show in cities across the country to take it off the air: «That’s not legal, that’s not American, that is un-American and it is so dangerous.»

«The government cannot be allowed to control what we do», added the host on his widely anticipated return.

The debate over free speech

Donald Trump erupted on Truth Social after Jimmy Kimmel’s return to late-night TV, unleashing a furious tirade against both the comedian and ABC. He accused the network of making a «big mistake», mocked Kimmel as talentless, and branded his show «Democrat garbage.»

Kimmel’s suspension and return have since become a flashpoint in the debate over free speech, political influence in entertainment, and the corporate risks of cultural backlash in the streaming era.