Last month’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! coincided with a doubling of subscriber churn rates on Disney+ and Hulu, according to the latest streaming report from Antenna. Churn, the industry term for the number of subscribers canceling their service in a given period, hit 8% on Disney+ and 10% on Hulu. Their levels in August were 4% and 5%, respectively. During the days-long Kimmel affair, a flurry of posts on social media, including from A-listers like Howard Stern, indicated that some Disney+ subscri ...

Core Viewpoint - The Walt Disney Company is increasing the prices of its streaming services, including Disney+ and bundles with Hulu and ESPN, amidst recent controversies surrounding Jimmy Kimmel's late night show suspension [1][2][3] Pricing Changes - Starting from 21 October, the Disney+ and Hulu package will rise from $10.99 to $12.99, while the ad-free plan remains at $19.99 [2] - Plans that include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN with ads will increase from $16.99 to $19.99 [2] - This marks the fourth consecutive year that Disney+ has raised its streaming prices since its launch in 2019 [6] Consumer Reactions - Consumers have reacted to the Kimmel controversy by canceling their subscriptions to Disney+ and its bundles [3] - A spokesperson for the company stated that the price increases were planned for months and not related to the Kimmel situation [3] Context of Kimmel's Suspension - Kimmel's suspension followed comments he made regarding the Make America Great Again movement in the wake of Charlie Kirk's death, which were deemed offensive [4][5] - Nexstar Media Group, which owns 28 ABC affiliates, pulled Kimmel's show due to the comments, leading Disney to suspend it as well [5] - The "cancel Disney+" campaign reportedly caused more subscriber churn than previous Netflix boycotts [5]

Core Viewpoint - FuboTV reported mixed financial results for the first quarter, with revenue growth but subscriber losses, leading to a price target reduction by Needham analyst Laura Martin from $3.35 to $3 while maintaining a Buy rating [1] Financial Performance - FuboTV's first-quarter revenue reached $405.96 million, an 8.1% year-over-year increase, slightly below the analyst consensus estimate of $415.45 million [1] - Adjusted EPS loss was two cents, outperforming the analyst consensus estimate of nine cents [1] - Revenue for the first quarter was reported at $416.3 million, a 3% year-over-year increase, and 1% above Martin's estimates [3] - Adjusted EBITDA loss improved significantly to $1.4 million, a 96% year-over-year improvement and 58% better than Martin's estimate [3] - Free cash flow showed a loss of $62 million, an increase of $9.3 million year-over-year [8] Subscriber Metrics - FuboTV's total subscribers were 1.824 million as of March 31, down 8,000 sequentially and 4% year-over-year [4] - North American subscribers decreased to 1.47 million, down 206,000 sequentially and 93% year-over-year [5] - Subscriber guidance for the second quarter of 2025 is projected at 1.225 million to 1.255 million for North America, reflecting a 14% year-over-year decline [5][6] Advertising Revenue - Ad revenue for the first quarter was $22.9 million, down 17% year-over-year and 31% below Martin's estimates, primarily due to the loss of Warner Bros. Discovery and TelevisaUnivision content [3][8] - Interactive ad formats increased by 37% year-over-year in the first quarter, with projections of a 41% increase in the first half of 2025 [9] Future Outlook - FuboTV plans to launch a new skinny bundle before the fall 2025 NFL season, which will include content from Walt Disney Co and other non-Disney linear TV programmers [1][2] - The company expects the Disney deal to close by the second quarter of 2026 [2]