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Disney Channel (Spain)

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For the Spanish-language Disney Channel in the Americas, see Disney Channel (Latin American TV channel).
Disney Channel (Spain)
CountrySpain
Broadcast areaSpain
Andorra
Headquarters
Programming
Language(s)Spanish (dubbing/subtitles)
English
Picture format1080i HDTV
Ownership
OwnerThe Walt Disney Company Iberia S.L.
Disney Branded Television (Disney Entertainment)
Sister channelsDisney Jr.
History
Launched
  • 17 April 1998; 26 years ago (1998-04-17) (pay television)
  • 1 July 2008; 16 years ago (2008-07-01) (terrestrial television)
ReplacedFly Music (on DTT)
ClosedJanuary 7, 2025; 1 day ago (2025-01-07)[1]
Replaced bySquirrel (on DTT)
Links
Websitetv.disney.es
Availability
Terrestrial
Digital terrestrial televisionChannel 23 (Madrid, HD)

Disney Channel was a Spanish terrestrial television 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 Spanish digital 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

[edit]

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] At the time of its fourth anniversary, the channel had 1,130,000 subscribers and a market share of 34% among the 4-14 demographic.[8] Its local production increased in September with Zon@ Disney (replacing Zon@ 7), the fifth season of La Liga Disney and the local version of Art Attack, as well as the acquired series Howdy Gaudi, created for the hundredth anniversary of the birth of Antoni Gaudí. From the United States came Kim Possible, The Proud Family and acquired series Jackie Chan Adventures.[9]

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.[10] In September 2003, La Primera ported Zon@ Disney to compete with Telecinco's Max Clan. The TVE version included a segment called Retro-Zapping, with footage from TVE's own children's productions from its archives, as well as the FTA premiere of Kim Possible.[11] In October, a new game show from the Madrid studios premiered on the channel, Enigma animal, with Jordi Cruz presenting short reports on a given species. The format tested viewers' knowledge about Spanish fauna, and gave the viewers the chance to search on the internet.[12] For Christmas, a contract was signed with the National Reading Plan giving viewers further incentives to read books, in the commercial breaks of Disney's channels.[13]

American Dragon: Jake Long premiered in early 2005 as part of the main Zon@ Disney strand.[14] In December 2005, the channel started airing tips on healthy eating, after a protocol signed with the Ministry of Health.[15] The success of High School Musical prompted Cuatro to buy the FTA rights for the movie, airing in November 2006, two months after its Disney Channel premiere.[16]

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.[17] 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.[18][19] 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 16:9 widescreen. 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]

In December 2012, Disney Channel attracted a 31.5% share in the 4-12 demographic. The series finale of Wizards of Waverly Place attracted a 34.7% share in the above demographic in March 2012, at least 1.8 million viewers of all demographics contacted with the episode for at least one second.[20]

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.[21] 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 closed 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.[22] Its sister channel Disney Junior will continue broadcasting on pay TV, similar to its Turkish counterpart.[23][24] The channel's final day on air will be marked by a nine-hour special featuring several landmark episodes and some series finales.[25][26]

On January 7, 2025 at 12:01am, the channel ended its broadcast, being replaced by Squirrel on DTT.[27]

Logos

[edit]
  • 2003–2011
    2003–2011
  • 2011–2014
    2011–2014
  • 2014–2017
    2014–2017
  • 2017–2022
    2017–2022
  • 2022–2025
    2022–2025

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Adiós a Disney Channel: dejará de emitirse en España a inicios de 2025 tras 27 años de historia en nuestra TV". ElDiario.
  2. ^ FormulaTV. "Disney Channel comienza a emitir en abierto a través de la TDT". FormulaTV (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Disney Channel emitirá sólo en HD por TDT desde el 14 de febrero". MundoPlus.tv. 19 January 2024. Archived from the original on 21 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  4. ^ Gallo, Isabel (11 September 1998). "Disney Channel refuerza su programación de otoño con un concurso sobre fútbol". El Pais (in European Spanish).
  5. ^ "Disney Channel alcanza los cien mil abonados". El Pais (in European Spanish). 19 February 1999.
  6. ^ "Disney lanza tres nuevos canales infantiles". El Pais (in European Spanish). 30 October 2001.
  7. ^ Vazquez, Maria (18 July 2001). "Disney Channel produce en España un programa infantil para Europa". El Pais (in European Spanish).
  8. ^ "Cuarto aniversario del Canal Disney". El Pais (in European Spanish). 17 April 2002.
  9. ^ Morales, Fernando (23 September 2002). "Disney Channel aumenta esta temporada la producción española". El Pais (in European Spanish).
  10. ^ Morales, Fernando (22 February 2003). "Disney Channel estrena la primera aventura televisiva de Zipi y Zape". El Pais (in European Spanish).
  11. ^ Gallo, Isabel; Baragaño, Techu (19 September 2003). "TVE amplía su oferta infantil con un concurso cultural y 'Zon@ Disney'". El Pais (in European Spanish).
  12. ^ Baragaño, Techu (23 October 2003). "'Enigma animal', nuevo concurso de Disney Channel". El Pais (in Spanish).
  13. ^ "Los canales de Disney fomentarán la lectura". El Pais (in European Spanish). 16 December 2003.
  14. ^ "'American dragon', nueva serie de dibujos de Disney Channel". El Pais (in European Spanish). 31 January 2005.
  15. ^ "Disney Channel incluye en su programación consejos de alimentación saludable". El Pais (in European Spanish). 8 December 2005.
  16. ^ "Cuatro emitirá el popular telefilme juvenil 'High school musical'". El Pais (in European Spanish). 6 October 2006.
  17. ^ "Disney adquiere el 20% de NET TV y tendrá canal propio". Formula TV (in Spanish). 13 February 2008. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2016. Translation: Disney acquires 20% of NET TV and will own channel.
  18. ^ "Disney Channel will be free through DTT". Formula TV (in Spanish). 28 May 2008. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2016. Translation.
  19. ^ "Adiós Fly Music, hola Disney Channel – TVlia". 28 May 2019. Archived from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  20. ^ "Disney Channel se hace mayor". El Pais (in European Spanish). 15 April 2013.
  21. ^ "Squirrel compra a Disney el 20% de Net TV". MundoPlus.tv. 23 December 2021. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  22. ^ Disney Channel España (16 December 2024). Gracias por formar parte de Disney Channel ❤️ | @disneychannelES. Retrieved 4 January 2025 – via YouTube.
  23. ^ Pérez, Laura (27 November 2024). "Adiós a Disney Channel: dejará de emitirse en España a inicios de 2025 tras 27 años de historia en nuestra TV" [Goodbye to Disney Channel: it will stop broadcasting in Spain at the beginning of 2025 after 27 years of history on our TV]. El Diario (in European Spanish). Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  24. ^ "Disney to stop airing Disney Channel on Spanish DTT". Telecompaper. 28 November 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  25. ^ Martín-Vázquez, P. (4 January 2025). "Disney Channel dice adiós en España: 'Hannah Montana' y 'Phineas y Ferb', protagonistas en su despedida". El Confidencial (in European Spanish).
  26. ^ "Programación Disney TV España". Disney España (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 January 2025.
  27. ^ "Cierre de Disney Channel (España) 6 de enero, 2025". YouTube.
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