Disney has reportedly faced a sharp drop in subscribers after temporarily pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! off air, with more than 1.7 million paid accounts cancelled in a single week. According to reporter Marisa Kabas, founder of The Handbasket, cancellations spiked between Sept. 17 and 23 across Disney+, Hulu and ESPN.
Posting on Bluesky on Sept. 29, Kabas wrote, “Disney saw more than 1.7 million total paid streaming cancellations during the period 9/17-9/23, a Disney source confirms to me. The total includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN.”
Kabas added that the figure represented a 436% increase compared with usual losses during the same period. She had previously revealed in The Handbasket that Disney was preparing a subscription price increase, which was formally announced shortly after Kimmel’s reinstatement. Her source suggested that Disney rushed the show’s return to soften the fallout ahead of the price hike.
A report in Engadget stated that the timing of the price rise may further accelerate cancellations, as viewers frustrated with the controversy weigh up the value of continuing their subscriptions.
Gizmodo reported that hashtags urging people to cancel Disney-owned streaming platforms quickly gained traction on social media after Kimmel’s suspension. Though the show is now back on air, it is reportedly uncertain how many of those subscribers will actually return.
