After being one of many most-talked about cancellations of the 12 months, Jimmy Kimmel Stay!‘s controversy resulted in tens of millions of Disney+ subscriptions being cancelled. Following the already-divisive cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s The Late Present in July 2025, Kimmel’s present discovered itself paused indefinitely for one week as a result of a monologue bit relating to President Donald Trump’s response to Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
After plenty of pushback from conservative critics, and threats of punitive motion from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, ABC was compelled to droop Jimmy Kimmel Stay! indefinitely. This resolution was additionally bolstered by the studio after the Sinclair and Nexstar broadcast teams refused to air the present on their networks.
This resulted in much more pushback from followers and the leisure business, decrying the political biases of the businesses and assaults on Kimmel’s free speech. After per week of negotiations and protests towards Disney, it was introduced that they and Kimmel had reached a deal to convey the present again on September 23, with Sinclair and Nexstar following go well with a couple of days afterward.
Per a brand new report from The Handbasket‘s Marisa Kabas on Bluesky, Disney and ABC’s preliminary cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel Stay! sparked a mass cancellation of subscriptions for his or her streaming platform, Disney+, in help of the late-night host. The streamer reportedly noticed greater than 1.7 million complete paid streaming cancellations, over the course of 1 week, which additionally contains Hulu and ESPN+. Take a look at her report under:
What These Subscription Figures Imply For Jimmy Kimmel Stay! & Disney
Contemplating the extent of outcry leveled on the studio within the wake of their preliminary resolution, it does not come fully as a shock that Jimmy Kimmel Stay!‘s suspension resulted in such a big wave of Disney subscription cancellations. All throughout social media, each followers and celebrities had been encouraging mentioned boycott mentality, together with She-Hulk star Tatiana Maslany and Misplaced‘s Damon Lindelof, amongst others.
Ought to the above reported determine be correct, it might go an extended option to securing Kimmel’s future on display screen. Paramount cited monetary causes for The Late Present‘s axing in July, and whereas it is unclear if this resulted in any Paramount+ cancellations, the truth that Kimmel’s did in such a big style proves he is a really precious half within the Disney machine.
It also needs to be famous that whereas the cancellation streak throughout Jimmy Kimmel Stay!‘s suspension peaked at 1.7 million, it is not essentially the top for the streamer’s downward swing. It was introduced in September each Disney+ and Hulu could be seeing a worth hike, roughly $3 per subscription plan, which additional prompted cancellations and requires boycotts.
Although Kimmel’s return may assist stave off a few of these cancellations, it will not fully cease the bleeding for Disney+. The growing blended viewers response to latest Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universe exhibits has seen many change into disinterested in sustaining their subscriptions, which, mixed with a worth hike, is certain to see the platform dip even farther from its 127 million subscribers.
Our Take On Kimmel’s Suspension Main To Disney+ Cancellations
Whereas there is no denying {that a} stage of wider curiosity has dipped in late-night tv within the wake of issues like podcasts, YouTube channels, and different discuss present host codecs. That being mentioned, no matter one’s political views, it is also laborious to disclaim that Jimmy Kimmel Stay!‘s suspension was a type of free speech infringement moderately than any monetary choices, as Colbert’s was reported to be.
This makes the sheer variety of Disney+ cancellations throughout Jimmy Kimmel Stay!‘s hiatus all of the extra encouraging for voices just like the titular host, who do not wish to stifle their opinions for company motivations. With at the very least 1.7 million paying supporters, along with the record-setting 6.26 million viewers in Kimmel’s return, it is clear networks ought to flip to defending their staff moderately than firing them.
- Launch Date
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January 26, 2003
- Showrunner
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Jimmy Kimmel
- Writers
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Joel Hodgson, Sal Iacono, Tony Barbieri, Eric Immerman, Jonathan Bines, Rick Rosner, Bryan Paulk, Danny Ricker, Jeff Loveness, Josh Halloway, Bess Kalb