Disney Branded Television facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Disney Branded Television

Formerly	List Walt Disney Entertainment, Inc. (1982–1983) The Disney Channel, Inc. (1983–1997) Disney Channel, Inc. (1997–2001) ABC Cable Networks Group (2001–2005) Disney Channels Worldwide (2005–2020)
Type	Division
Industry	Entertainment
Genre	Children and family
Founded	July 15, 1982; 43 years ago (1982-07-15)
Founder	Alan Wagner
Headquarters	Burbank, California , U.S.
Number of locations	37 (formerly)
Area served	Worldwide (except Cuba, Iran, Mongolia, North Korea and Syria)
Key people	Ayo Davis (president)
Brands	Disney Channel Disney Junior Disney XD
Services	Television content
Parent	Disney General Entertainment Content
Subsidiaries	Disney Original Documentary Disney Television Animation It's a Laugh Productions

Disney Branded Television is an American company that creates TV shows and movies for kids, teens, and families. It's a part of Disney General Entertainment Content. This company makes content for popular platforms like Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, and Disney XD. They also create unscripted shows, documentaries, and special programs for Disney+ and the Disney TV channels.

Before Disney Branded Television was formed, a group called Disney Channels Worldwide managed all Disney TV networks. This changed in 2018 when Disney reorganized. The U.S. channels, like Disney Channel and Radio Disney, were managed separately from the international channels. The international team looked after Disney channels around the world, including special versions like Hungama TV.

The first Disney Channel started in the United States in 1983. Back then, it was a special channel you had to pay extra for. Now, it's a basic channel that most people can watch. Disney Channel's shows are also shown in many other countries.

This company has had a few different names over the years: Walt Disney Entertainment, Inc. (1982–1983), The Disney Channel, Inc. (1983–1997), Disney Channel, Inc. (1997–2001), ABC Cable Networks Group (2001–2005), and Disney Channels Worldwide (2005–2020).

History of Disney's Kids' TV

Starting as Walt Disney Entertainment

On November 10, 1981, Walt Disney Productions teamed up with Westinghouse Broadcasting. They planned to create a new TV service for families. In 1982, Disney hired Alan Wagner to help develop this new cable channel.

About 20 months after it launched, the channel started sending its signal through home satellite dishes.

By July 15, 1982, Disney officially created Walt Disney Entertainment, Inc. This company was later renamed The Disney Channel, Inc., by January 28, 1983.

Becoming The Disney Channel, Inc.

The Disney Channel officially launched in April 1983. It started as a premium channel, offering 16 hours of shows each day.

The channel began making a profit in January 1985.

On September 1, 1990, Disney Channel started becoming a basic cable channel. This meant more people could watch it without paying extra. In March 1995, a second Disney Channel began broadcasting in Taiwan. A third one launched in October for the United Kingdom.

Shortening the Name to Disney Channel, Inc.

By September 29, 1997, the company's name was shortened to Disney Channel, Inc. Around this time, Disney announced the Toon Disney channel. This new basic channel would show Disney animated programs. Toon Disney launched on April 18, 1998, which was Disney Channel's 15th anniversary.

In 2000, the Playhouse Disney channel for preschoolers started in the United Kingdom. In the U.S., the Playhouse Disney block had already launched on Disney Channel in 1997.

Changing to ABC Cable Networks Group

Disney Channel, Inc. changed its name again to ABC Cable Networks Group, Inc. by January 31, 2001. In October 2003, another Disney company, ABC Family Worldwide, became part of this group.

In January 2004, Disney joined with Fox Kids Europe and Fox Kids Latin America. They created a programming group called Jetix. This group rebranded Fox Kids channels and shows as Jetix.

Becoming Disney Channels Worldwide

The headquarters of Disney Channels Worldwide in Burbank during the 2000s.

In November 2005, the team that made Disney's TV animation shows joined Disney Channels Worldwide.

In 2006, Disney Television India bought Hungama TV. This was a channel from UTV Software Communications Limited. Also, Disney Cinemagic started broadcasting in the UK in March 2006.

In Spain, Disney bought a part of a TV company in February 2008. By late May 2008, Disney Channel moved to free over-the-air TV in Spain. It replaced a channel called Fly Music.

Disney's Japanese team started making their own animated series in March 2008. They produced shows like Stitch! and Fireball.

After some young Disney Channel stars had problems, the company started offering classes in 2009. These classes helped their young actors handle the pressures of fame. In 2014, they added optional monthly life-skill classes.

Disney XD (DXD) launched on February 13, 2009. It took over the channel space of Toon Disney in the U.S. Many Jetix channels around the world also changed to Disney XD.

On May 26, 2010, Disney announced Disney Junior. This new channel would replace the Playhouse Disney Morning block on Disney Channel in February 2011. It would also become its own channel for preschoolers in January 2012. All Playhouse Disney channels and blocks outside the U.S. were also renamed "Disney Junior" in 2011.

In October 2011, Disney partnered with UTH Russia. They agreed that UTH would turn its TV network, Seven TV, into a Disney Channel in early 2012.

In April 2013, Disney announced that Das Vierte, a German broadcast station they bought, would become a Disney Channel. This new channel would be a 24-hour family entertainment network starting in January 2014.

Disney India Media Networks closed down Bindass Play, a Hindi music channel. They replaced it with Disney International HD on October 29, 2017. This channel showed English HD entertainment for ages 14 to 25, focusing on Disney live-action shows.

Company Changes and New Focus

On March 14, 2018, Disney reorganized its company. All international channels, including Disney Channel, moved to a new group called Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International. The U.S. channels stayed under Disney–ABC Television Group.

After Disney+ launched in New Zealand in November 2019, Disney closed its regular TV channels there. In June 2020, Disney Channels Worldwide announced that all three Disney networks in the United Kingdom would close on October 1. Their shows would then be available on the Disney+ streaming service. This happened because Disney couldn't agree on a new deal with Sky and Virgin Media.

Forming Disney Branded Television

In November 2020, Disney reorganized again. The Disney channels became part of Disney Branded Television. This new group is part of Disney General Entertainment Content. Gary Marsh, who used to be the president of Disney Channels Worldwide, now leads this new unit. Disney Branded Television creates and produces content for kids, tweens, teens, and families. This content is for Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, and Disney+. The group also handles all Disney+ unscripted shows and specials. In December 2020, Disney announced that Radio Disney and Radio Disney Country would stop broadcasting in early 2021.

On May 25, 2021, Disney announced plans to close 100 TV channels around the world by the end of 2021. This included Disney-branded channels and Fox Networks Group channels that Disney got when it bought 21st Century Fox in 2019. Most of these closures happened in Asian countries.

In December 2021, Disney Branded Television created Disney Original Documentary.

On March 1, 2022, Marvel HQ in India was rebranded to Super Hungama.

The Russian channel stopped broadcasting on December 14, 2022. This was due to Disney ending its business in the country.

More global channels closed in 2022, including channels in Latin America and Turkey.

On March 15, 2023, Disney Channel HD launched in India.

Popular Television Series

Disney Branded Television creates many popular shows. Here are some of them:

Documentaries

Disney Branded Television also produces documentaries:

Channels Around the World

Disney's TV channels around the world often have a similar look. However, local managers can create schedules and marketing that fit what kids in their country like. They also get local shows that meet Disney's standards. If a show is popular in one country, its style might be used for Disney Channels in other places. But since 2020, many of Disney's international channels have closed. This is because Disney is focusing more on its streaming service, Disney+.

The Disney Channel in different versions around the world, each represented by one color.

Channels in Asia

Disney Channel Asia started on January 15, 2000. It had one video feed with English sound, and also Mandarin sound and subtitles. It was available in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines. On June 1, 2002, a Korean-language version launched in South Korea. By mid-2005, Disney Channel Asia and its sister channel Playhouse Disney launched in Vietnam, Palau, Thailand, and Cambodia. Disney Channel Asia also became available in Bangladesh. It stopped broadcasting by the end of 2021.

Japan

In April 2009, Disney Japan and Disney Channels Worldwide started a new company. They wanted to broadcast a channel for women and families called Dlife. This channel launched on March 17, 2012. In December 2013, Dlife started a kids' programming block called Disney Time. The Dlife channel closed on March 31, 2020. However, it was brought back on March 1, 2024.

China

Disney Channel does not have a special version just for China. However, many of its live-action and animated shows are shown on local channels. This has been happening through ABC's Dragon Club since 1994. Disney also has a Chinese website.

India

Before Disney channels launched in India, Disney shows were available through special blocks of programming. This started as early as 1994 on Doordarshan. Then it moved to Zee TV and later to Sony Entertainment Television. Star TV also showed Disney blocks like Disney Time.

In December 2004, Walt Disney Television International India launched a Toon Disney channel. It had three language options: English, Tamil, and Telugu. At the same time, the Disney Channel also launched. In November 2005, Disney made a deal with Doordarshan (DD) for a half-hour block called Disney Jadoo. This meant Disney had four branded blocks in India.

Channels in Canada

On April 16, 2015, Corus Entertainment announced a deal with Disney. They gained the rights to Disney Channel's shows in Canada. Disney Channel in Canada launched on September 1, 2015. This was the first time a Disney Channel-branded network operated in Canada.

Before this, the Family Channel showed most Disney Channel programs in Canada. Family Channel was often seen as Canada's version of Disney Channel. Some Canadian shows made by Family Channel, like Life with Derek, have even aired on Disney Channel in the United States.

Current Disney Channels

Here are some of the Disney Channels that are still broadcasting:

Images for kids

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  The Disney Channel in different versions around the world, each represented by one color.

See also

In Spanish: Disney Branded Television para niños

• List of Disney Junior TV channels
• List of Disney XD TV channels