Particle.news
Download on the App Store
35 ARTICLES
·
2h ago

Disney Hit by Reported 1.7 Million Cancellations After Kimmel Suspension as Shareholders Demand Records

Investor pressure over ABC’s brief suspension highlights free‑speech fallout with business costs following FCC threats.

Image
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr speaks during the U.S. Chamber of Commerce 2025 Global Aerospace Summit in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 9, 2025. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon/File Photo
A photo illustration of Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission of the United States Brendan Carr and a rowdy crowd.
Image

Overview

  • Journalist Marisa Kabas reports more than 1.7 million paid cancellations across Disney+, Hulu and ESPN between Sept. 17–23, a 436% spike over typical churn, citing a Disney source that the company has not publicly confirmed.
  • ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Sept. 17 after FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned broadcasters to take action, affiliates Nexstar and Sinclair preempted the show, and regular carriage resumed nationwide by Sept. 26 after ABC reinstated the program.
  • Kimmel’s Sept. 23 return drew roughly 6.2–6.3 million viewers before settling near 2.3 million within days, reflecting a short-lived ratings surge reported via Nielsen figures.
  • Shareholders represented by attorney Roberta Kaplan demanded Disney’s internal ‘books and records’ about the suspension by five business days from Sept. 24 and threatened legal action if the company does not comply, with no response disclosed as of the latest reporting.
  • Disney announced streaming price increases set to take effect Oct. 21 and said the hikes were planned months earlier, as social media campaigns urged users to cancel Disney-owned services during the suspension period.