Disney Channel (Spanish TV channel)


Disney Channel is a Spanish free-to-air television channel centred on kids programming. It is owned by Disney-ABC Cable Networks Group. which is owned by The Walt Disney Company and by Spanish group Vocento which includes the conservative Spanish newspaper ABC. It was launched in 1998 as a pay television channel. On 1 July 2008, it replaced Fly Music on Spanish digital terrestrial television, thus becoming the first Disney Channel available free-to-air in the world.
A 1-hour timeshift channel called Disney Channel +1 was also launched.

History

Disney Channel Spain was launched in 1998, when The Walt Disney Company and Sogecable came to an agreement to distribute a Spanish version of the American Disney Channel on the satellite platform Canal Satélite Digital. The channel began broadcasting on April 17, 1998. The channel carried local-made shows and Disney's animation library. A Spanish version of the British show Art Attack, hosted by Jordi Cruz, was also produced and broadcast, among others.
In September 1999, Disney Channel Spain adopted Disney Channel UK's "Circles" logo and ident set created by GÉDÉON. 3 years later, Disney started to offer three more channels: a timeshift channel, called Disney Channel +1, Toon Disney and Playhouse Disney. Toon Disney's schedule was meant to air exclusively Disney animation, while Playhouse was a channel for a preschool audience. In 2008, Toon Disney became Disney Cinemagic, like the British, German and French versions did two years before.
In February 2008, the Walt Disney Company Iberia decided to buy 20% stake in digital terrestrial television multiplex operator Sociedad Gestora de Televisión Net TV. After the purchase, Net TV was owned by Vocento, Intereconomía Group and TWDCI. Finally, the company announced in late May 2008 the launch of Disney Channel replacing Net TV's Fly Music as a digital over-the-air channel on July 1, 2008.
On May 1, 2010, Disney Channel Spain started broadcasting in widescreen. Disney Channel has launched its new App logo on June 20, 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 June 10, 2013. In November 2013 the site was changed again as per the other European Disney Channels.