October 21, 2025, 9:36 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Between September 17 and 23, 2025, Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ experienced an unusually high surge in cancellations. According to journalist Marisa Kabas (via “Engadget“), the services lost more than 1.7 million subscribers during this period. This figure is about 436 percent above the usual numbers.
Disney+ Cancellations Due to Jimmy Kimmel
The wave of cancellations was triggered by the suspension of U.S. host Jimmy Kimmel. The network ABC temporarily pulled his late-night show on September 17, 2025. The background was a statement Kimmel made on September 10, in which he criticized then-U.S. President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.
The host said verbatim: “The MAGA gang is desperately trying to portray the boy who killed Charlie Kirk as someone other than one of their own, and is doing everything to exploit it politically.” After threats from FCC chief Brendan Carr and the show’s removal from partners, ABC proceeded with the suspension. Although the show returned after six days, by that time, numerous Disney+ subscribers had already canceled.
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Impact on Disney+ Subscribers and Investors
The more than 1.7 million cancellations represent less than one percent of the total Disney+ subscribers, but the timing is considered problematic. Just a few weeks earlier, Disney had promised its investors an additional 10 million subscriptions by the end of September 2025.
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As the U.S. trade magazine “Variety” additionally reports, the subscription loss represents a doubling of the usual cancellation rates–a full eight percent instead of the four percent for the two months prior. However, the figures from the research firm Antenna are not very accurate: They do not indicate whether these are actual cancellations or merely downgrades or upgrades of plans.
Disney Loses and Gains at the Same Time
Paradoxically, Disney not only lost numerous subscribers but also gained new ones during the same period. Disney+ alone gained 2.18 million new customers in the same timeframe, more than compensating for the loss of others and even representing a gain. Hulu also saw an increase in subscribers.
Overall, Disney+ and Hulu have about 183 million subscribers (as of June 2025) and remain among the largest streaming platforms worldwide. However, the downturn could slow growth. Additionally, Disney has not released separate figures for the individual services since the summer, which has drawn criticism from investors.
Some investors are now demanding access to internal documents regarding Kimmel’s suspension to better understand the management’s decision. This puts the company under pressure once again to create transparency and more clearly disclose the development of Disney+ subscribers.