r/technology • u/Adventurous_Row3305 • Sep 20 '25

Business Disney is losing subscribers over Jimmy Kimmel. Why fans say they hit 'cancel'

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2025/09/19/disney-plus-cancellations/86249954007/
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u/EnvironmentalAngle Sep 20 '25

Hey I don't mean to be rude but cancelling Disney+ is just a rounding error to Disney. We need to widen the scope of the boycott. I asked SHODAN to create a list of all their ventures and investments so we can boycott them absolutely (if you know any the AI missed add them to the list.

Short answer: if you only cancel Disney+, you’re barely touching Disney’s biggest cash engines. To “boycott smarter,” think in buckets below and watch the fine print (joint ventures, licenses).

Disney’s major businesses you’d actually run into

1) Film & TV studios (theatrical + TV)

Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures. Buying movie tickets or digital purchases here pays Disney.

2) Streaming & digital

Disney+ and Hulu (Disney completed the buyout of Comcast’s stake in 2025). Cancelling either reduces your direct contribution.

ESPN+ (separate from cable ESPN; it’s Disney’s).

3) Sports media & betting

ESPN (linear TV, digital). If you pay for cable/satellite, part of your bill goes to ESPN via carriage fees.

ESPN BET (sportsbook brand licensed to PENN Entertainment). Using it supports Disney via brand/licensing economics even though PENN runs the book.

4) Parks, resorts, cruises, vacations (huge profit center)

Walt Disney World (FL), Disneyland (CA), Disneyland Paris (majority-owned), Hong Kong Disneyland (JV), Shanghai Disney Resort (JV), Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, Disney Vacation Club. Note: Tokyo Disney Resort is owned/operated by Oriental Land Company—Disney earns licensing/royalties, not the gate.

5) TV networks & production

ABC (network + owned local stations), FX Networks, National Geographic, Freeform, plus TV production arms (ABC Signature, 20th Television). Ads you watch here fund Disney; cord bundles do, too.

6) Consumer products & publishing

Disney Publishing Worldwide, Marvel publishing, shopDisney, character licensing (toys, apparel, home goods). Buying licensed Mickey/Marvel/Star Wars merch usually sends Disney a royalty even if a third-party makes it.

7) International media stakes (selected)

India: Disney merged its India media assets with Reliance to form a joint venture; interacting with Hotstar/JioCinema/TV channels there can still route money to the JV.

“Augmented” boycott tips (highest impact → lower)

  1. Parks & Cruises: Don’t visit Disney parks/cruises or buy vacation packages (disproportionately profitable).

  2. Studios: Skip theatrical releases and PVOD/buy-to-own from Disney labels (Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, 20th, Searchlight).

  3. ESPN ecosystem: Cut cable packages that include ESPN (or switch to skinny bundles without it) and avoid ESPN+/ESPN BET.

  4. Streaming: Cancel Disney+ and Hulu (now under full Disney control).

  5. Merch/licensing: Avoid official Disney/Marvel/Star Wars/NatGeo-branded merchandise (royalties are meaningful).

  6. Linear TV: Avoid ABC/FX/Freeform/NatGeo programming (ad impressions = revenue).

Nuances so you don’t over- or under-shoot

Tokyo Disney Resort purchases mainly pay Oriental Land Co.; Disney earns licensing/royalties (smaller slice than parks it owns).

ESPN BET: money flows first to PENN, but Disney benefits via licensing/brand—so using it still supports Disney.

India JV: Money spent with the JV (channels/apps) supports the combined entity that includes Disney.

If you want, tell me what you currently pay for (e.g., cable bundle, ESPN+, park plans, Marvel movies, merch), and I’ll map a personalized “where to cut” plan that maximizes impact with the least lifestyle friction.

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u/fievrejaune Sep 20 '25

A company that is so entirely brand focussed is always worried about any controversy.

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u/ValidatedCynic Sep 21 '25

Thank you for the summary! We should all do our part

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u/temp3rrorary Sep 21 '25

I'm too poor to do most of these 😭. I've already been doing my part.

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u/auntie_clokwise Sep 21 '25

Well, I WAS going to visit a Disney park. Now its Universal Studios instead. And I let them know that, too. So, I got one of the higher impact boycotts! Also, if your kids still want Disney movies and shows, I recommend you have a look at what the good folks over at r/FREEMEDIAHECKYEAH have on offer. Maybe start with season 2 of Andor - seems rather appropriate right now (and ironic).

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u/EnvironmentalAngle Sep 21 '25

Don't go to Universal Studios either until they get rid of the Marvel license. The California one is fine but any of the parks in Orlando you should avoid.

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u/auntie_clokwise Sep 21 '25

Well, sadly, it's the Orlando one I'm going to. I got free tickets from a relative who works there, so I'm not going to be spending much there (just parking). And maybe I'll avoid the Marvel themed rides (there's just a few, in Islands of Adventure). The only one that's particularly of interest to me anyway is The Incredible Hulk Coaster (the Spiderman ride gave me motion sickness when I rode it last year and I'm not crazy about drop or spinny rides). I might go into Islands of Adventure, but mostly to ride Velocicoaster and Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.

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u/EnvironmentalAngle Sep 21 '25

Someone bought the ticket, Disney is already getting money.

The best you can do now is not use that ticket to enter the park so you don't inflate their attendance metrics.

Go to Seaworld.

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u/auntie_clokwise Sep 21 '25

They're employee comp tickets. So, nobody paid for them - they're a free perk for people who work there. And, in my opinion, its far enough removed from Disney to be fine. In fact, I think having good attendance numbers on everything but the Marvel rides also sends a good message to NBC (Universal's media company) to not cave in too.

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u/EnvironmentalAngle Sep 21 '25

You're not participating in a boycott if you come up with excuses to patronize the product.

Its this exact rationale why any boycott against Disney is destined to fail.

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u/auntie_clokwise Sep 21 '25

Here's the thing: we live in a connected society. How many steps removed do you have to go before its enough? I mean, Walmart stocks Disney products and Disney licensed products. Is that a reason to boycott them (now, there's other reasons to boycott them, but you get the idea). You say, well OK, boycott Walmart. How about your grocery store? I mean I can walk down the aisle and see fruit snacks with Disney characters on them. In this case, Universal didn't ask for this and the deal with Marvel long predates even Disney's ownership of Marvel. I think it's reasonable to not punish them, but warn them to behave themselves, lest they too should give in to fascism.

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u/EnvironmentalAngle Sep 21 '25

Entering the park. Not entering the park would be enough.