Journalist Marisa Kabas reported that a Disney source put paid streaming cancellations across Disney+, Hulu and ESPN at more than 1.7 million from September 17–23, 2025—the week ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live!. That is an attributed cancellation figure, not a publicly documented count of net subscribers Disney lost. Later estimates showed elevated monthly cancellations for Disney+ and Hulu, but also higher signups and net additions.
What the reported 1.7 million figure means
Engadget reported Kabas’s account of a Disney source’s claim: more than 1.7 million paid cancellations across Disney+, Hulu and ESPN between September 17 and September 23, 2025. Engadget also relayed the claim that cancellations were 436% above the services’ usual churn. The underlying weekly dataset and the calculation behind that comparison were not made public in the reporting, so both figures should remain attributed rather than treated as independently verified company statistics.
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The reports by Engadget and Breitbart trace back to the same underlying claim; they are not separate confirmations of the exact weekly total. Engadget’s account describes the attribution and period, while Breitbart’s report covers the same claim.
How the Kimmel suspension fits the timeline
ABC suspended the late-night program on September 17. Disney announced on September 22 that it would return the following night. The reported cancellations fall within that interval, making it fair to say the spike coincided with the suspension and its backlash. The timing alone does not establish that the suspension caused every cancellation, or that it was the only reason customers left. The Guardian’s October 2025 account also reproduced Disney’s explanation that the company suspended production to avoid further inflaming a tense situation and later decided to bring the show back after conversations with Kimmel.
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- Approx. Size: 27 x 40 Inches - 69cm x 102cm
- Size is provided by the manufacturer and may not be exact
- The Amazon image in this listing is a digital scan of the poster that you will receive
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What later September data showed
On October 20, the Associated Press reported Antenna estimates for the full month of September: 3 million Disney+ cancellations and 4.1 million Hulu cancellations. Antenna put Disney+ churn at 8%, up from 4% in August, and Hulu churn at 10%, up from 5%. Churn here means the percentage of customers who cancel during a month. These are U.S. consumer estimates that exclude subscribers in bundle deals; they cover two services and a whole month, not the reported one-week total across three services.
The monthly figures are useful evidence of elevated cancellations, but they do not independently verify the exact September 17–23 claim. AP also reported that signups for both Disney+ and Hulu were higher in September than in each of the previous five months, though it did not give signup totals in that comparison. AP said Disney declined to comment on the monthly data. The AP report explains the estimates and their scope.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Cancellations are not the same as net subscriber losses
A cancellation count measures customers who ended subscriptions; net movement also reflects new signups and other additions. Axios, reporting Antenna’s September estimates, said Disney+ gained 2.18 million net subscribers and Hulu added 2.11 million. Those monthly net additions do not erase the reported cancellations; they show why gross cancellations cannot be described as a net loss of the same size. Axios’s account distinguishes those measures.
Later quarterly results offer broader context, not a count for the week in question. AP reported that combined Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions reached 196 million, up 12.4 million from the previous quarter, and said cancellations spiked after the suspension. A quarter-level total covers a different period and measure from the attributed weekly cancellation claim. AP’s quarterly-results coverage reports that wider figure.
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What can be concluded
- Reported: A Disney source, as relayed by Marisa Kabas and reported by Engadget, put cancellations across Disney+, Hulu and ESPN above 1.7 million from September 17–23, 2025.
- Not publicly established in the cited accounts: An independently auditable weekly dataset confirming that exact figure, or a net loss of 1.7 million subscribers.
- Separately estimated: Antenna data reported by AP showed high September cancellations and churn for Disney+ and Hulu, alongside signups that were higher than in each of the previous five months.
- Not proven by timing: That the Kimmel suspension alone caused all cancellations counted in the week or month.
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