Disney Channel close to being added to Sky Basic Pack...

Just had an email from Broadcast telling me what is in this weeks issue, and I noticed this little snippet:



This would be excellent as I love the Disney Channel!
Could this also pave the way for a Disney Channel on Freeview?

Also now reported on DigitalSpy...

Does anyone know about NTL?

If Disney Channel remains ad-free then it is unlikely to appear on Freeview outside of TopUpTV, as there would be no revenue stream.

Sky must be paying them a reasonable amount of subscription revenue to move them to the basic package if they can remain ad-free without premium subscription income.

Interesting move though - I've always though that Playhouse Disney as a premium channel felt a bit odd. I know it comes free with a full Movies and Sport package, but apart from the movies the output doesn't feel 'premium' when compared to the FTA and basic subscription kids channels.

the disney channels are not even avalible on the ntl family pack and now there thinking of putting the disney channel on the cheapest sky package.well i tell you one thing im going sky even though i never watch the disney channel but i think sky is better for the money then ntl

This entire lack of advertising model could be part of a much bigger strategy to build a network of "TV Disney - safe for the kids", by being the only kids network that doesn't throw advertising at them hence reducing pester power and what not. Disney Channel in America is ad-supported.

On the other hand, when ITV plc was finalised, it was tooted that the entire operation could be flogged to Disney, and the company went mad by launching Playhouse, Toon and the timeshifted channel, then later following with abc1. So somebody could be trying to build their profile.



It will be interesting to see if Disney Channel becomes more of a cartoon zone with the loss of Toon Disney and the relocation of films to Disney Cinemagic,, or whether it ends up doing a Cartoon Network, launching an entirely new channel and relocating its decent stuff to it leaving the main channel with about a dozen programmes.

i suspect the lack of advertising means no adverts from toy makers and stuff - I fully expect to see Sky promotions and "Turn to Disney Cinemagic now to see the Lion King, but here on the Disney Channel, Teleshopping"


Well OK, they may not resort to that, but you know what I mean. I just hope the Disney Channel isn't turned crap by giving it all the rubbish programmes.

It's very interesting.

I don't like what's happening to the Disney Channel myself, but it's good news that all will be able to see it.

First of all, they axed Studio Disney, thus taking away it's presenters, and live block in the afternoon.

Then when ABC1's hours changed to 24 hours instead of 12, they got rid of Home Improvement and 8 Simple Rules, thus airing more kids programmes.

And now, even though they're going to be available for all, they're taking away Toon Disney, and taking all of the movies and putting them onto their own channel.

I presume that they will still air some movies, such as a Sunday and 7pm movie, but just not as many.

As for the closure of Toon Disney, I presume that they will just create a Playhouse Disney +1, to save having to move all of the remaining children's channels up one place now that thy're all sorted out.

I don't think that was a Disney Channel decision, I reckon it was a company decision. After all, they were receiving complaints that abc1 were airing episodes of Home Improvement in a totally random order as Disney Channel probably had first dibs.

Although the ironic thing is, now its permanent home is abc1, they don't seem to know whether they prefer airing Season 2 or Season 3.

And speaking of abc1, they've changed their daytime idents. Again. They're now halway in length between the long versions before and the shortened version that's just been replaced.

The Disney Channel went onto Standard Cable in America in the late 90's, since then it has never shown a Commercial for a Sponsor besides its own programming and/or Disney Movies or Theme Parks, it is not an Advertiser Sponsored Channel in the United States.

Yep - this is why they are on cable, where they get payment per-subscriber. If they were on a non pay-TV system then if they didn't carry adverts, and didn't use sponsorsip, they'd have no income route. Hence I'd be VERY surprised if they were carried on Freeview - unless their parent operation decided to give the service away free...