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1h ago

Kimmel Back on All ABC Stations as Disney Confronts Reported 1.7 Million Streaming Cancellations

Shareholder groups are demanding internal records on the suspension decision to set up possible legal action.

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A demonstrator waves a "Protect Free Speech" sign following a protest against the suspension of the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" show, held near the theater where the show is produced in Hollywood, on September 22, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
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Overview

  • Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to ABC on Sept. 23 and is now carried nationwide after Nexstar and Sinclair restored the show late last week.
  • Journalist Marisa Kabas reported, citing a Disney source, that more than 1.7 million paid subscriptions across Disney+, Hulu and ESPN were canceled Sept. 17–23, a 436% spike over baseline churn; Disney has not confirmed the figure.
  • Kimmel’s comeback episode drew roughly 6.2–6.3 million viewers before settling to about 2.3 million by Thursday, still above the show’s pre-suspension average.
  • Disney announced a Disney+ price increase effective Oct. 21 shortly after Kimmel’s reinstatement; reporting suggests the timing influenced the rapid reversal, while Disney has said the hike was planned months in advance.
  • AFT, AFL-CIO and Reporters Without Borders, represented by attorney Roberta Kaplan, have demanded board-level documents related to Kimmel’s suspension and warned they may sue if Disney does not produce them.