Disney+ loses 3 million subscribers after Jimmy Kimmel show suspension

Recent reports revealed that Disney+ saw a sharp increase in the number of subscribers abandoning the streaming service following the brief suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show.

According to data from subscription analysis firm Antenna, as reported by The New York Times on Monday, Disney+ lost nearly 3 million subscribers in September, the same month ABC suspended the late-night show over Kimmel’s comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. This was double the three-month average loss of about 1.2 million subscribers.

The “dropout” rate, or the percentage of subscribers who cancel each month, also doubled for Disney+, jumping from about 4% in August to 8% in September, according to Antenna.

Jimmy Kimmel abandons 64% of his audience after ratings spike for a short period following the comment

Hulu, another Disney-owned streaming service, saw a similar trend with 4.1 million subscribers leaving the service in September compared to 1.9 million subscribers just a month earlier. Hulu’s “volatility” rate increased from 5% to 10% During that same period.

Despite the spike in cancellations, both Disney+ and Hulu also saw a significant increase in subscribers in September. Disney+ gained nearly 2.2 million subscribers in the US while Hulu added nearly 2.1 million new subscribers, representing increases of approximately 10% and 5%, respectively, compared to August.

Fox Business has reached out to Disney for comment.

ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Viewers have bled over the past decade, losing 72% among key demos

Disney+ and Hulu lost millions of subscribers in September. (Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images/Getty Images)

Kimmel initially came under fire from fans after he falsely suggested that Kirk’s alleged killer was part of a “MAGA gang” despite reports of his left-wing ideology.

“We reached new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to paint this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of their own, and doing everything they can to score political points out of him,” Kimmel told his audience.

The Jimmy Kimmel Show was briefly suspended on September 17 after broadcast companies Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group announced they would preempt the program due to Kimmel’s controversial comments.

ABC braces for financial hit as KIMMEL REMOVAL shuts down these advertisers

The Jimmy Kimmel Show is back on the air after ABC took it off the air for less than a week. (Michael Le Brecht/Disney via Getty Images/Getty Images)

After backlash from media commentators, protests outside the studio and threats of a Disney boycott, the show returned to broadcast less than a week later on September 23.

Get FOX Business on the go by clicking here

Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group announced on September 26 that they had ended the pre-emptive bid for Kimmel’s show.