Disney Branded Television

Walt Disney Entertainment, Inc.

On November 10, 1981, Walt Disney Productions and Westinghouse Broadcasting announced that they had joined up to start a family-oriented cable television service.^[3] In 1982, Disney hired Alan Wagner to develop a cable channel.^[4]

Twenty months after the launch, the channel moved into the home satellite dish market thus scrambling its signal.

By July 15, 1982, Disney incorporated Walt Disney Entertainment, Inc., which was renamed by January 28, 1983, to The Disney Channel, Inc.^[5]

The Disney Channel, Inc.

The Disney Channel was launched on April 18, 1983 as a premium channel with 16 hours of programming.^[4][6]

The channel became profitable in January 1985.

The channel started moving to the basic cable level on September 1, 1990, with TCI Montgomery Cablevision.^[6] In March 1995, the second Disney Channel began broadcasting in Taiwan^[7] while the third is launched in October for the United Kingdom.^[6]

Disney Channel, Inc.

By September 29, 1997, the corporate name was shortened to just Disney Channel, Inc.^[5] Disney had hired Geraldine Laybourne away from Nickelodeon in 1996. She founded a kids channel codename ABZ, which the media speculated to be aimed at preschoolers, but was dismissed by Laybourne.^[8] In December 1997, the Toon Disney channel was announced as a basic channel consisting of Disney animated programming.^[6] As of April 1, 1998, most of the international versions are pay channels while the Taiwan and Malaysia versions are ad supported and the USA version is a basic channel.^[9] Toon Disney Channel was launched on April 18, 1998, on Disney Channel's 15th anniversary.^[10]

In 2000, the Playhouse Disney preschool channel was launched in the United Kingdom^[11] while in the US, in 1997, the Playhouse Disney block was launched on Disney Channel. Towards late June 2001, Disney was looking into launch Playhouse Disney as a channel in the United States for 2002.^[12]

ABC Cable Networks Group

Disney Channel, Inc. changed its name to ABC Cable Networks Group, Inc. by January 31, 2001.^[5] In October 2003, ABC Family Worldwide was shifted from Disney COO Bob Iger's directly reporting unit to the ABC Cable Networks Group.^[13] In early 2004, Disney Channel's original programming leaders took over ABC Family's original movies unit temporarily as two ABC Family executives left the channel.^[14]

In January 2004, Fox Kids Europe, Fox Kids Latin America and ABC Cable Networks Group created the Jetix programming alliance that would rebrand Fox Kids in Europe, Middle East and Latin America as Jetix.^[15] ABC1 launched on UK's digital terrestrial television platform on September 27, 2004.^[16]

Disney Channels Worldwide

Barry Blumberg resigned as president of Walt Disney Television Animation on November 17, 2005 to allow the planned transfer of TV animation to Disney Channels Worldwide.^[17]

In 2006, Disney India acquired Hungama TV from UTV Software Communications Limited^[18] Disney Cinemagic began broadcasting in the UK on Sky in March 2006^[19] and expanded across Western Europe in timeshift and HD variants.^[20] ABC1 ceased broadcasting on all UK TV platforms at noon on September 26, 2007.^[21]

In Spain, The Walt Disney Company Portugal purchased 20% of Management Company Television Net TV SA (or NET TV) on February 12, 2008^[22] and announced on May 28 that same year the move of Disney Channel to the digital over-the air space, replacing NET TV's Fly Music on July 1.^[23]

The company's Japanese unit, Walt Disney Television International Japan, started procuring its own animated series in March 2008, with the first two series to debut at Tokyo International Anime Fair 2008. The company produced Stitch! with Madhouse Company, while Fireball was produced with Jinni's Animation Studios.^[24]

After two Disney Channel stars had various scandals, the company started a set of classes for their young stars in 2009 to adapt to the pressure of fame. Optional monthly life-skill classes were added in 2014.^[25]

Disney XD was launched on February 13, 2009, taking over the channel space of Toon Disney in the US^[26] and Jetix overseas (with some rebranding instead to Disney Channel) starting with France on April 1.^[27] That April, The Walt Disney Company Japan and Disney Channels Worldwide started Broadcast Satellite Disney Co., Ltd. to broadcast a women and family targeted channel called Dlife with licensed content, received in October 2010 and debuted on March 17, 2012.^[28]

Jetix Play closed down on August 1, 2010, in most countries,^[29] in Turkey on September 1, 2010 and in Romania on March 12, 2011, after which they were all replaced with Playhouse Disney.^[29]

On May 26, 2010, Disney–ABC Television Group announced the launch of Disney Junior, which would replace the Playhouse Disney block on sister network Disney Channel in February 2011, and extend to a standalone preschooler-oriented channel that would replace Soapnet in January 2012. All 22 Playhouse Disney channels and blocks outside the U.S. were also renamed "Disney Junior" throughout 2011.^[30][31][32]

On October 27, 2011, Disney reached a joint venture agreement (49%/51%) with UTH Russia, in which UTH will turn its broadcasting network Seven TV into Disney Channel starting in early 2012.^[33] On March 28, 2013, Cinemagic was replaced with Sky Movies Disney in the UK market under license to BSkyB.^[34]

In April 2013, Disney announced that Das Vierte, its recent purchased broadcast station in Germany, would become the German free-to-air variant of Disney Channel in January 2014.^[35] Disney formed an in-house ad sales company called Disney Media + for the channel, given that two competitors control most ad sales companies.^[36][37]

Disney India Media Networks shut down Bindass Play, a Hindi music channel, and replaced it with Disney International HD on October 29, 2017. This general entertainment channel is in English and HD, targeted to ages 14 to 25 while only tapping Disney live action shows.^[38][39]

Company split

With Disney's March 14, 2018 reorganization in the midst of acquiring 21st Century Fox, all international channels and businesses were transferred to a new dedicated segment known as Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International, while the US unit remained Disney–ABC Television Group.^[40] On January 20, 2019, Disney India Media Networks shut down the local Disney XD variant and replaced it with Marvel HQ, featuring shows and movies from Marvel Entertainment as well as some acquired programming.^[41]

Disney+ launched on November 12, 2019 in the US and New Zealand; the latter country its linear channels shut down a few days later. In June 2020, Disney Channels Worldwide announced that all 3 of its main channels in the UK and Ireland would shut down on October 1, with their content moving over to Disney+, as the extension of a carriage deal with Sky and Virgin Media could not be reached.^[42]

Disney Branded Television

Following a company restructuring in November 2020, Disney's local television channels became part of Disney Branded Television, a newly created unit of Disney General Entertainment Content (now Disney Entertainment Television). Headed by the former Disney Channels Worldwide president, Gary Marsh, the new unit oversees development and production of content made for kids, tweens, teens and families for Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD and Disney+. Disney Branded TV also oversees all Disney+ unscripted series and specials.^[2] In December 2020, Disney announced that Radio Disney and Radio Disney Country would cease operations in early 2021.^[43] Following the reorganization, the management of Disney XD was moved to Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution.^[44]

On December 9, 2021, Disney acquired the documentary short Sophie and the Baron and brought it under its newly created Disney Original Documentary banner.^[45]

On March 1, 2022, Marvel HQ in India was rebranded to Super Hungama.^[46]

On March 10, 2022, Disney announced a suspension of its operations in Russia in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[47][48] Its Russian channel, however, continued operating until the dissolution of Disney's joint venture with local broadcaster Media-1 on December 14, 2022.^[49][50][51]

On March 15, 2023, Disney Channel HD was launched in India.^[52]

Television series

Television movies, documentaries and specials

Short films