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Disney+ Lost Millions After Pulling Jimmy Kimmel, Here’s What Happened
For a company like Disney, public perception is crucial to its success. Every decision, especially one involving a high-profile figure like Jimmy Kimmel, can set off a cascade of reactions. When a major star’s show gets suspended, the ripple effects can touch not just fans, but also the company’s bottom line.
Disney’s handling of such controversies is always under scrutiny, but sometimes the consequences extend beyond just bad press. In the case of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the suspension of the late-night talk show host has sparked significant reactions, not only from his dedicated fanbase but also from Disney+ subscribers.
Related: Disney Stock Takes a Hit as Kimmel Suspension Sparks Streaming Chaos
For nearly one week, fans of the Emmy-winning late-night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, were unable to watch the comedian’s signature antics on their screens. On September 17, Disney made the surprising decision to pull Kimmel’s show “indefinitely.” The move came after Kimmel made comments about Donald Trump and the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which prompted two of Disney’s largest affiliate broadcasters—Sinclair Broadcasting and Nexstar Media—to announce they would no longer air the show.
This decision sparked widespread outrage, particularly from Kimmel’s dedicated followers.
The suspension didn’t sit well with many fans, who quickly took to the streets in protest outside Disney’s studio lot in Burbank, California. These protests weren’t just limited to angry demonstrations; fans expressed their discontent by canceling their Disney vacations and swearing off the company until the suspension was reversed.
Related: How Michael Eisner’s Bold Words Forced Disney to Bring Back Jimmy Kimmel
The public outcry continued to grow, especially after several prominent celebrities, including Marisa Tomei and Tatiana Maslany, voiced their frustrations on social media, encouraging their followers to boycott Disney entirely, including their subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu.
Shortly after his suspension, Mr. Kimmel and his legal team entered discussions with Disney about bringing the show back on the air. The conversations focused on a potential way to resolve the matter, especially after Sinclair Broadcasting made it clear that Kimmel would need to meet certain demands if he wanted to return to their airwaves.
These demands included apologizing to Charlie Kirk’s family and making a monetary donation to Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA.
Related: NexStar CEO Justifies Pulling ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Amid Free Speech Debate
But the pressure mounted, and just five days after the suspension, Disney reversed its decision. The company issued a statement announcing that Kimmel would be reinstated. They explained that the initial suspension had been prompted by Kimmel’s “ill-timed” comments, but that both Sinclair and Nexstar had backtracked on their earlier stance by September 26.
Sinclair even relented on its initial demands. The swift about-face from Disney marked a notable shift in the situation, but it came at a significant cost to the company’s reputation and its streaming services.
Fans responded by attempting to cancel their Disney+ subscriptions en masse, which reportedly led to the website crashing. The impact of this mass cancellation would soon be revealed.
According to a report from The Handbasket’s Marisa Kabas, Disney+ experienced a staggering loss during the period between September 17 and September 23, nearly 2 million subscribers vanished in just five days.
SCOOP / UPDATE — Disney saw more than 1.7 million total paid streaming cancelations during the period 9/17-9/23, a Disney source confirms to me. The total includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN.
In the wake of this, another detail emerged that may have played a role in Disney’s quick decision to reinstate Kimmel: the company’s planned price increase for Disney+.
NEW — I wrote about my confirmed scoop from last night that Disney hastened Kimmel’s return because of a planned Disney+ streaming price increase announcement coming on Tuesday
SCOOP / UPDATE — Disney saw more than 1.7 million total paid streaming cancelations during the period 9/17-9/23, a Disney source confirms to me. The total includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN.
— Marisa Kabas (@marisakabas.bsky.social) 2025-09-29T17:19:55.663Z
On September 23, the day Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to the air, Disney revealed upcoming price hikes for both its standalone Disney+ subscriptions and its bundles that include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN. The price hikes, which started to roll out shortly after Kimmel’s return, became another point of contention for frustrated fans who were already upset by the suspension debacle.
Upon his return to the air, Kimmel joked about the cancellations by reading a mock ‘statement’ from Disney, humorously guiding viewers on how to resubscribe to Disney+. However, it’s still unclear how many people actually reactivated their accounts after his comeback.
Did you cancel your Disney+ subscription in protest of Kimmel’s suspension, or were you among those who decided to stick it out? Do you think the suspension debacle will have long-term consequences for Disney’s streaming business? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Kirk died and Jimmy lied. And that is just fine with Disney.
unfortunately you’re correct.
Mr. Kimmel has zero humanity or character. He made himself a martyr for which he was not. The martyr was Kirk and Jimmy used him and lied about him. Disney should have had some balls and let Jimmy have the consequences of his actions. Walt Disney would have never hired the man much less allow what Jimmy to remain on TV. He represents Disney. Money is obviously more important than humanity and character. I am beyond disappointed in Disney for caving to Jimmy’s dismissal fan base.
I feel the same way about them destroying what I always called the ride about GA. Splash Mountain. I have lived in GA my entire life and loved that ride. I am sorry but animals are not racists, and they should have studied the writings of Joel Chandler Harris. I have the movie on dvd and watch it often. They are trying so hard to bend over backwards to be PC.
I feel the same way about them destroying Splash Mountain.
I did cancel my subscription and I will not return.
I have never watched the Kimmel Show or the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. I do not like either one of them preaching politics to me. I am 66 years old and know how to vote and who to vote for.
How about those who canceled because kimmel was put on the air?
I see the maga commenters are out in full force. I canceled my subscription. Glad to see those in support of free speech made an impact.
Been to WDW dozens of times. Can no longer afford it. Building a park in Dubai sent us all a clear message as to where Disney loyalty lies.
I stuck it out and waited to see what would happen. We are imperfect humans.