Jimmy Kimmel, left, seen in October 2025. The Disney+ logo is seen on the right.

New data for Disney+ and Hulu subscription cancellations reveals the business impact of their parent company's controversial decision to suspend "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" for nearly a week.

Cancellations rose sharply for both streamers in September, when ABC pre-empted Kimmel's late-night show, per an Oct. 20 report released by measurement and analytics company Antenna.

The so-called churn rate for Disney+ was 8% that month, up from 3-5% over the past year. August had a 4% churn rate. Hulu, where the churn ranged from 4-6% over the past year, saw a 10% decline in subscriptions, compared to 5% the prior month

Monthly churn is calculated by dividing the number of subscription cancellations by the total subscribers from the previous month.

These numbers don't tell the full story, however. Antenna's report also revealed an increase in new subscribers compared to recent months.

Nearly 2.2 million new Disney+ subscriptions were started in September – a 10% increase from August – while Hulu gained 2.1 million new subscribers, up 6.6% from August. This was the biggest bump since March for both services.

USA TODAY has reached out to Disney representatives for comment.

Several factors could have impacted the cancellation and sign-up rates.

When Kimmel returned on-air Sept. 23, Disney+ and Hulu subscribers were notified that most plans' prices would increase the following month. Also, the NFL's regular season began in September, with Disney-owned ESPN streaming a full lineup of games that would have drawn new viewership.

ABC's suspension of Jimmy Kimmel led to calls for a Disney boycott

On Sept. 17, Disney-owned ABC announced "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" would be off-air "indefinitely" after the Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr sharply criticized Kimmel's Sept. 15 monologue about the "MAGA gang's" response to Charlie Kirk's killing.

After Carr's comments, Nexstar Media Group Inc. announced it would not air the show on its 32 ABC affiliate stations, with Sinclair Broadcasting Group mirroring the move with its own affiliates.

The backlash soon ensued, with social media users calling for a boycott of Disney's streaming services. Many in the entertainment industry called Kimmel's suspension a capitulation to the government's attempt to censor free speech.

Kimmel later denounced his critics' response to his Sept. 15 monologue, calling the reaction to his comments "intentionally, and I think maliciously, mischaracterized." Upon returning to the air, the comedian showed contrition for his comments about Kirk's death, saying it was "never my intention to make light" of the event.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Did Jimmy Kimmel suspension hurt Disney+ subscriptions? Cancellations doubled amid boycott

Reporting by KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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