Disney is making a questionable PR move by announcing price increases for its streaming plans on the same day Jimmy Kimmel returns to screens.
Starting Oct. 23, Disney+ and Hulu subscription prices will increase by $2 to $7 across several plans, while some premium and no-ad bundles will remain unchanged.
The most significant price increase is for the Hulu + Live TV plan, which is rising from $83 to $90 a month, according to Vulture. The plan provides access to over 75 live channels, including ABC, which airs Jimmy Kimmel Live!
On Monday, Disney announced that, following “thoughtful conversations” with Kimmel, it has decided for Jimmy Kimmel Live! to return on Tuesday, after the show was suspended last week.
“Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” Disney said.
The monologue that led to Kimmel’s suspension focused on 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, the suspect charged with murdering 31-year-old Charlie Kirk, and criticized how the “MAGA gang” was trying to portray Robinson as “anything other than one of them.”
Kimmel actually said, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Disney’s decision to suspend Kimmel sparked a nationwide debate over free speech, especially since it came shortly after FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned that the FCC could respond to Kimmel’s monologue “the easy way or the hard way,” depending on how the company handled the situation.
In defense of free speech and in protest of Disney’s decision, several hundred people gathered at Disney Studios in Burbank for a protest organized by the Writers Guild of America West, held a day after Kimmel’s suspension.
Musicians also withdrew from performing at the launch of a Disney documentary, and more than 400 artists signed a letter from the ACLU opposing the suspension.
According to Business Insider, Google searches for “cancel Disney Plus” and “cancel Hulu” rose in the days following the company’s decision.
What’s more, Disney’s stock has fallen from $116 to around $112 per share since Kimmel’s suspension, according to CNN’s financial analysis.
“So Disney put Kimmel back on because you, the American people, were upset,” fellow late-night show host Stephen Colbert said about Kimmel’s reinstatement.
Jimmy Kimmel returns to ABC Tuesday night at 11:35 p.m. ET, where he’s expected to address his suspension by the company.
The post Disney Hikes Prices Despite Backlash as Kimmel Returns appeared first on The Daily Beast.
