Disney Channel (India) facts for kids
Current logo since 1 May 2018
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| Country | India |
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| Broadcast area |
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| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | |
| Picture format | SDTV 576i HDTV 1080i |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | JioStar, a Joint Venture between Viacom18 & Disney India |
| History | |
| Launched | 16 December 2004 (SD) 15 March 2023 (HD) |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Airtel Digital TV | SD & HD |
Disney Channel is a popular TV channel in India. It's a special channel that you pay to watch, and it's owned by a company called JioStar. This company is a partnership between Viacom18 and Disney India. Disney Channel India is like the Indian version of the famous Disney Channel in America. It started broadcasting on 16 December 2004. You can watch Disney Channel in India in different languages like Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu on most TV providers.
By October 2020, Disney Channel had become one of the top five most-watched kids' channels in India.
Contents
History of Disney Channel India
How Disney Channel India Started
On 16 December 2004, Disney Channel India began broadcasting. Its sister channel, Toon Disney, also launched at the same time. Both channels showed programs in English and Hindi. In the beginning, Disney Channel India mostly showed popular Disney shows from the US. These included Lizzie McGuire, That's So Raven, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, Sonny with a Chance, The Suite Life on Deck, Jonas LA, and Phineas and Ferb.
Making Shows for India
Disney India also started making its own versions of international live-action shows. The first one was Best of Luck Nikki, which premiered on 3 April 2011. A special Disney Channel Original Movie, Phineas and Ferb Across the 2nd Dimension, was shown on the channel on 25 September 2011.
In 2012, the channel launched its second local show, The Suite Life of Karan and Kabir, on 8 April. They also released their first Disney Channel India Original Movie, Luck Luck Ki Baat.
In June 2014, Disney Channel India introduced its first local animated series, Arjun Prince of Bali.
Changes and New Shows
On 17 December 2014, the channel updated its look with a new logo, similar to the one used around the world. However, the Indian logo was purple instead of blue. The channel also started a new plan to show family-friendly programs on weekends, calling it "Shanivaar, Ravivaar only for Parivaar." These family shows began airing on 31 January 2015.
By early 2016, the channel stopped making local live-action shows. They decided to focus more on Japanese anime and local animation because these types of shows were more popular with viewers.
On 1 May 2018, the channel's logo color changed to blue, matching the international Disney Channel logo. In the same month, they launched new shows like Simple Samosa and Big Hero 6 The Series. On 1 October 2018, the DuckTales reboot also premiered in India.
In 2019, Disney Channel continued to create and get more local animated shows and international shows from the Disney library. Some of these included Oye Golu, Bhaagam Bhaag, Amphibia, Big City Greens, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, and Super V. The Descendants movie series was shown on Disney Channel in December 2019.
During summer 2020, new shows like Mira, Royal Detective, Bapu, and Guddu were launched. They also aired new episodes of popular shows such as Chacha Chaudhary, Doraemon, and Selfie with Bajrangi. On 6 September 2020, the channel launched a DIY (Do It Yourself) show called Imagine That.
On 18 April 2021, the second season of Imagine That and 101 Dalmatian Street were aired.
After Disney Star and Viacom18 joined forces in 2024, Disney channels became part of JioStar. The kids' section of JioStar is now led by Anu Sikka, who previously worked at Nickelodeon.
Where Disney Channel is Broadcast
The channel broadcasts in India and some nearby countries. It used to be available in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Bhutan, but it was later removed from these countries.
Why Channels Were Removed
- Bangladesh: The Government of Bangladesh stopped Disney Channel and Disney XD from broadcasting in February 2013. The reason was that many shows, like the anime Doraemon, were only available in Hindi and not in local languages. Pogo was also banned for the same reason. Later, a different version of Disney Channel became available in Bangladesh.
- Pakistan: Similar concerns about Hindi-only versions of shows like Doraemon were raised in Pakistan. In 2016, after some tensions between India and Pakistan, all Indian TV channels were banned by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority. This ban was confirmed again in 2018.
- Bhutan: In Bhutan, the channel was removed in 2017. This was because most of its programs were in Hindi instead of English, and Bhutan wanted more consistent language options.
Sister Television Channels
Disney Channel HD
Disney Channel HD, a high-definition version of the channel, was launched on 15 March 2023. Its launch had been planned earlier but was postponed a few times.
Disney Junior
The Playhouse Disney brand first came to India in 2006 as a special block of shows on Disney Channel. On 4 July 2011, it was replaced by Disney Junior, which eventually became its own 24-hour channel. Disney Junior shows programs for younger children.
Disney International HD
On 5 October 2017, The Walt Disney Company India announced the launch of Disney International HD. This channel started on 29 October 2017. It mainly shows international live-action content from the Disney Channel library. Some popular shows include Austin & Ally, K.C. Undercover, Liv and Maddie, and Hannah Montana. It also airs Disney Channel Original Movies like Teen Beach, Descendants, Zombies, and Spin.
Hungama TV
Hungama TV started on 26 September 2004. It was first owned by UTV Software Communications, but The Walt Disney Company India bought it in 2006. This channel mostly shows Japanese and Indian animated programs.
Super Hungama
This channel has changed its name several times. It first launched as Toon Disney on 17 December 2004. Then, on 14 November 2009, it became Disney XD. On 6 January 2019, it rebranded as Marvel HQ. Finally, on 1 March 2022, the channel became Super Hungama. When it launched as Super Hungama, it added four new shows: Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Big City Greens, Milo Murphy's Law, and The Daltons. The rest of its content and schedule remained similar to Marvel HQ.
Programming on Disney Channel India
Unlike many other Disney Channels around the world, Disney Channel India doesn't show a lot of content from the North American Disney channels. Instead, it focuses mostly on local Indian shows and some Japanese animated series. These types of shows are very popular with Indian audiences. For example, Doraemon has been shown a lot on the channel since 2011, even though it's not a Disney show. This helps keep viewership high. Nowadays, Doraemon is aired for most of the day, along with occasional airings of Rudra Boom Chik Chik Boom and Perman.
Logos
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2004–2011
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2011–2014
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2014-present
See also
In Spanish: Disney Channel (India) para niños
- Disney Channel (United States)
- Hungama TV
- Super Hungama
- Pogo (TV channel)
- Cartoon Network (India)
- Nickelodeon (Indian TV channel)
- Disney Junior (India)
- Sony YAY!
- Discovery Kids (India)
- Nickelodeon Sonic
