Disney Channel is a soon to be defunct Spanish terrestrialtelevision channel owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company Iberia and a localized version of the original United States channel of the same name.
It was launched on 17 April 1998 as a pay television channel, aimed for children to teenagers. In 2001, Disney launched a timeshift channel, 'Disney Channel +1', broadcasts the same programming one hour late. And on 1 July 2008, it was launched and replaced Fly Music on Spanishdigital terrestrial television, thus becoming the Disney Channel that broadcasts in free TV,[2] a practice that would be replicated in other markets in the following years.
An HD feed of the channel is available and until February 2024 was exclusive to pay TV operators; until then on DTT it only broadcast at a standard definition of 576i.[3]
History
Disney Channel Spain was launched in 1998, when The Walt Disney Company and Sogecable (now Prisa TV) made an agreement to distribute a Spanish version of the Disney Channel on the satellite platform Canal Satélite Digital. The channel began broadcasting on 17 April 1998. The channel carried local-made shows and Disney's animation library, as well as acquired content. From September 1998 it started airing El rincón mágico, a pre-school program. In November 1998 it premiered La Liga Disney Channel, a football-themed gameshow.[4] A Spanish version of the British show Art Attack, hosted by Jordi Cruz, was also produced and broadcast, among others.[citation needed]
In February 1999, the channel had 100,000 subscribers.[5] In September 1999, Disney Channel Spain adopted Disney Channel UK's "Circles" logo and ident set created by GÉDÉON. On 16 November 2001, Disney launched three more channels: a timeshift channel, called Disney Channel +1, Toon Disney and Playhouse Disney (later Disney Junior). Toon Disney's schedule was meant to air exclusively Disney animation, while Playhouse was a channel for a preschool audience.[6]El rincón mágico was replaced by Playhouse Disney in 2001; filming of specialized segments started in June 2001 from the Madrid complex, which was shared between the five European versions available at the time.[7]
In 2003, the channel premiered a TV adaptation of Zipi y Zape produced by BRB Internacional, as part of Disney Channel's pledge to support local animation.[8]
In February 2008, the Walt Disney Company Iberia (TWDCI) decided to buy 20% stake in digital terrestrial television multiplex operator Sociedad Gestora de Televisión Net TV.[9] After the purchase, Net TV was owned by Vocento (55%), Intereconomía Group (25%) and TWDCI (20%). In late May 2008, TWDCI announced the launch of Disney Channel replacing Net TV's Fly Music as a digital over-the-air channel on 1 July 2008.[10][11] Similarly, on the same day, Toon Disney became Disney Cinemagic, like the British and French versions did two years before.
On 1 May 2010, Disney Channel Spain started broadcasting in 16:9widescreen. Disney Channel has launched its new App logo on 20 June 2011. The website was also revamped. In 2012 a service called Disney Replay was introduced. It airs full episodes of series. The Phineas and Ferb episode "Knot My Problem" first premiered on this service on 10 June 2013. In November 2013 the site was changed again as per the other European Disney Channels.[citation needed]
Disney Channel +1 was gradually discontinued over the course of the 2010s, being mostly replaced with Disney Channel HD. The channel was permanently discontinued on 9 March 2017, after being removed from Vodafone TV, in favor of 7 days rewind features built into the TV boxes.[citation needed]
By the end of 2014, Disney Cinemagic closed its doors in Spain. Eventually a spiritual successor would be launched in the form of Movistar Disney, a channel exclusive to the pay-TV operator Movistar Plus. The channel was launched on 22 December 2017, and closed by the end of March 2020, due to the launch of Disney+ in Spain, alongside Disney XD.[citation needed]
On 23 December 2021, it was announced that Disney had sold its 20% on Net TV to Squirrel Media, who acquired Vocento's 55% a few weeks prior.[12] This has led to speculation about Disney Channel in Spain potentially closing, or at least leaving terrestrial television in Spain, just like what has happened with other versions of the channel worldwide since the launch of Disney+, despite the channel continuing to broadcast on Spanish DTT.[citation needed]
On 19 January 2024, it was announced that the DTT signal of Disney Channel Spain would upgrade from its 576i resolution to 1080p on 14 February 2024, due to the shutdown of SD signals on terrestrial television in Spain on that same day.[3]
On 27 November 2024, VerTele reported that the channel would be removed from terrestrial platforms on 7 January 2025.
The channel will close its broadcasts in Spain after 27 years on the air because Disney Iberia could not reach new agreements with Net TV to continue operating the channel in the respective country, its content will continue to be enjoyed through the Disney+ platform and its official YouTube channel.[13] Its sister channel Disney Junior will continue broadcasting on pay TV, similar to its Turkish counterpart.[14][15]
Logos
2003–2011
2011–2014
2014–2017
2017–2022
2022–2025
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