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High-profile calls to cancel Disney streaming follow ABC suspension
A recent decision by ABC — owned by The Walt Disney Company — to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! ignited a fresh round of public pushback this week, with several entertainers and public figures urging subscribers to cancel Disney streaming services. Tatiana Maslany, who stars as the title character in Marvel’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law on Disney+, posted an Instagram Story showing herself in motion-capture gear and added a short message encouraging followers to stop subscribing to Disney+, Hulu and ESPN.
Other voices joined the chorus. Actress Amy Landecker shared a screenshot of her Disney+ cancellation page, while former congressman Adam Kinzinger posted to his followers urging a boycott of ABC and Disney. Industry account Exhibitor Relations circulated a “Protest Playbook,” suggesting steps such as canceling subscriptions, reducing Disney-related spending, skipping ABC programming and contacting advertisers that buy time on Jimmy Kimmel Live! The post also included contact information reportedly linked to Disney leadership and ABC viewer relations.
The reaction illustrates how decisions made by networks can ripple across the entertainment ecosystem: streaming subscriptions, linear TV ratings, advertising relationships and even theme-park revenue are all levers fans and customers consider when responding to high-profile disputes.
Context: celebrity activism and streaming churn
Celebrity calls for boycotts are not new. From artist-led streaming controversies to talent reactions during labor actions, public figures have increasingly used social media to influence consumer behavior. Streaming services like Disney+ and Hulu depend heavily on subscriber retention and ad revenue; industry analysts note that visible cancellations and social-media campaigns can create short-term churn and public relations challenges, though the long-term financial impact varies widely depending on scale and duration.
There’s also a creative angle: Tatiana Maslany’s advocacy is notable because She-Hulk used advanced motion-capture and a distinctive comedic-drama tone that divided critics and fans when it premiered. Comparatively, other Marvel series have seen more muted talent responses when platform decisions drew criticism. The difference highlights how actors connected to distinctive, conversation-driving projects sometimes leverage their profile to shape public debate.
Industry and community reactions
Unions and guilds — from SAG-AFTRA to the writers’ and directors’ groups — have previously mobilized around decisions affecting late-night and scripted programming, and the current situation has drawn statements from advocacy groups and walkouts outside Disney facilities. Exhibitor Relations’ “playbook” mirrors prior grassroots guides used in high-profile media disputes, which focus on coordinated consumer action (subscription cancellations, advertiser outreach, viewership boycotts) as a tool for signaling dissatisfaction.
Film critic Anna Kovacs, who writes on media labor and platform economics, observes: “Public calls for subscription cancellations are a form of rapid-response activism that can pressure corporatesymbolically. They rarely topple a company overnight, but they do force conversations about editorial independence and corporate governance.”
For viewers weighing a response, the practical steps are straightforward — cancel through account settings, leave feedback, or contact advertisers — but the effectiveness of such actions depends on whether they are sustained and widely adopted. From a neutral industry perspective, the episode underscores the increasing interplay between talent visibility, corporate decision-making and audience power in the streaming era.
Whether this moment leads to policy shifts at ABC or Disney remains to be seen. What it does confirm is that in today’s media landscape, a single programming decision can cascade into a broader debate about speech, corporate responsibility and where audiences spend their entertainment dollars.
Source: deadline
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