Disney and Netflix found themselves facing renewed pressure from MAGA consumers as conservatives launched another round of boycotts against major entertainment companies. Disney’s streaming services recorded millions of cancellations in September 2025 amid the controversy surrounding late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. Netflix also faced calls for cancellations over LGBT content appearing in programming marketed toward children. The campaigns were part of a broader effort to punish companies accused of using their products to advance left-wing politics and cultural causes.
The controversy surrounding Disney began after Kimmel made remarks about the political leanings of the alleged assassin of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Conservatives targeted Disney over the remarks, while critics of ABC’s subsequent decision to suspend “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” also urged customers to cancel Disney+ and Hulu. Roughly 3 million people canceled Disney+ during September, more than double its trailing three-month average of approximately 1.2 million cancellations. Hulu recorded roughly 4.1 million cancellations during the same month, compared with a three-month average of around 1.9 million.
Disney’s streaming platforms continued attracting new customers despite the unusually high number of departures. Disney+ recorded approximately 2.18 million subscription additions in September, up from an average of 1.81 million during the previous three months. Hulu added roughly 2.11 million subscriptions, compared with a trailing three-month average of approximately 1.87 million. Those additions partially offset the unusually high cancellation totals.
The figures came from entertainment analysis company Antenna and were cited in an October 21st, 2025, report from Axios. The data established that cancellations spiked during the Kimmel controversy, but it did not identify each departing subscriber’s reason for canceling. Some cancellations therefore may have been unrelated to either boycott campaign. The figures did not establish how many cancellations resulted specifically from conservative pressure against Disney.
Netflix became another leading target after prominent conservative accounts circulated clips featuring LGBT characters in programs such as “CoComelon Lane” and “Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous.” Critics accused the streaming company of exposing children to sexual and political material and revived calls for subscribers to abandon the platform. Netflix had faced a similar campaign years earlier over the French film “Cuties,” which drew intense criticism for its depiction of young girls. Axios did not provide current Netflix cancellation figures comparable to the Antenna data for Disney+ and Hulu.
The boycott push extended well beyond the two streaming companies. Conservative activists attacked Wikipedia after co-founder Larry Sanger publicized a list of outlets reportedly prohibited or restricted as sources, including Breitbart, Fox News, The Federalist, The Daily Caller, and The Epoch Times. The NFL also encountered backlash after selecting Puerto Rican performer Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl LX halftime show. Target, Bud Light, and Cracker Barrel have faced their own consumer revolts over LGBT marketing, diversity policies, or changes to familiar branding.
Corporate boycotts often generate enormous attention before losing momentum, and even some prominent figures on the right questioned the repeated campaigns against Netflix. “How many times are we going to boycott Netflix, right?” conservative activist Laura Loomer told Axios. Loomer argued that some boycott demands were “all for likes and clicks” and described the recurring Netflix campaigns as “kind of absurd.” A previous cancellation drive surrounding “Cuties” reportedly faded after only several days.
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Other conservative consumer campaigns have produced more tangible results by directing buyers toward competing businesses. The Daily Wire built a multimillion-dollar razor business after Harry’s Razors pulled advertising from “The Michael Knowles Show” over what it called misaligned values. Tucker Carlson and Neil Patel also launched the ALP nicotine-pouch brand in partnership with Turning Point Brands, whose share price had risen by more than 50% between the venture’s November 2024 announcement and the Axios report in October 2025. Conservative pressure also helped force Cracker Barrel to abandon its redesigned logo and restore the restaurant chain’s longtime emblem.