The Disney protests were a wake-up call about the risks of streaming mergers
Boycotting Disney is hard.
In late 2022, there was a call to boycott Disney following the removal of Jimmy Kimmel Live! from the network's lineup due to the host's comments about free speech advocate Charlie Kirk's murder. This incident sparked outrage among free speech proponents, including the reporter who supported the decision to halt their support for Disney.
Boycotting Disney proved more challenging than initially anticipated. The ubiquity of the company made it difficult to avoid their products. For instance, ending Disney+ was straightforward, but it disrupted the evening routine of many viewers who relied on the streaming service for entertainment. The reporter, for one, often concluded weekdays by watching comforting sitcom reruns and adult animation, which became increasingly difficult without access to Disney+.
Moreover, Disney's ownership of Hulu added another layer of complexity to the boycott. Many of the reporter's favorite shows, such as American Dad, Futurama, Living Single, Fresh Off the Boat, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, were exclusively available on Hulu. This made it hard to completely avoid Disney's influence and products, further highlighting the challenges of boycotting a company with such a diverse portfolio of media properties.
Written by urgent.news from Ars Technica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
