Disney - Jimmy Kimmel scandal: This is the number of subscribers that canceled their plans between Sep. 17 and 23
Disney, ABC’s parent company pulled the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” show only to make a u-turn after they claimed they acted to avoid “inflaming a tense situation.”
On September 17, broadcast giant ABC suspended the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show after the 57-year-old host criticized MAGA supporters’ – and Trump’s – reaction to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel’s remarks triggered fierce backlash, with affiliate giants Nexstar and Sinclair pulling the show from their schedules and Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr suggesting ABC’s license could be at risk. Disney, ABC’s parent company, said it acted to avoid “inflaming a tense situation.” Given the president’s ongoing blatant commentary in person and on Truth Social about why the presenter, and others, should be removed, there was plenty noise about that influence being felt across the industry.
Quick Kimmel return
Just a handful of days after making the initial decision, there was a u-turn from the network with ABC claiming: “We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday (23rd).”
Disney’s stock price fell from $116.63 on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 17, the day Kimmel’s suspension was announced, to $112.22 on the morning of Monday, September 22, a decrease of almost 3.8 percent.
Although that in itself might not seem like a huge drop, Culture Base reported the company’s market value fell by $3.87 billion overnight in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
Subscriber slip
Disney reportedly lost over 1.7 million paid streaming subscribers across Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ between September 17 and September 23 (2025), following the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show by ABC.
This wave of cancellations was a direct response to what many perceived as Disney caving to political pressure after Kimmel made controversial remarks about the killing of conservative figure Charlie Kirk. The backlash was amplified by social media campaigns like #CancelDisneyPlus, and the cancellation rate during that week was reportedly 436% higher than normal.
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