Greg Donovan is on display at the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Elle Capitan Entertainment Center. Recorded on September 23, 2025 to celebrate the return of the Hollywood Boulevard show in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Gabriel Cortez | CNBC
Images of Disney And the streaming service plunged to a few years’ low after temporarily pulling comedian Jimmy Kimmel out of the air, according to an analysis by investment bank Jeffries.
Using Morning Consult Data, the company shows that sentiment for the company and its Disney+ Platform has dropped to levels not seen in at least two years. The sentiment from Democrats who had a better view of Disney the past two weeks ago was stronger and more sour than the Republicans. Both groups showed a significant decrease.
“The past two weeks for Disney have been eventful, to say the least, and equally controversial,” analyst James Heaney wrote to his client in a memo on Thursday. Analysts noted that Disney+’s recent price hike added to the plunge mood around the brand.
Disney became a cultural flashpoint after briefly airing Kimmel’s late-night comedy show, sparking his comments about Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist who was murdered last month. The ABC took the move after Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Kerr suggested that he could yank the network’s broadcast license. A station owned by a local ABC Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair They preceded the show in their area before Disney’s decision.
Disney stocks, one month
Heaney noted that the entertainment giant faced backlash both in Kimmel’s original comments and in the move to halt the production of the show afterwards. And bring him back.
Critics of Disney’s decision, including a democratic Hollywood power player, argued that the company acquiesces to appease President Donald Trump’s administration, rather than confronting the First Amendment rights to free speech. Kimmel’s show has returned to a much higher audience than typical.
Chart Heaney, shared with clients in the bank’s survey, showed that positive Disney sentiment measures were divided by negative sensations that approached the lowest measurements that date back to before 2024.
Disney also announced later last month that it would increase the prices of many of its subscriptions by $2-3. The new cost layer will take effect on October 21st.
Heaney noted that Disney as a whole saw the highest brand awareness in the last two years. Especially with Disney+, the jump is much smaller, and analysts said it’s a good foreshadowing from a business standpoint for CEO Bob Iger.
“This is clearly a PR hit for Disney,” Heaney said. “But the data means there’s less impact on Disney+ than the overall brand. This can limit the amount of streaming churn.”
Disney stocks fell 6% last month, pulling inventory into red in 2025. However, Heaney reaffirmed his purchase rating and price target of $144.
