Recap To The Year: Disney EMEA Halts Original Programming For The Disney Channels, Further Content Being Distributed By Disney+

A few months ago, Disney Branded Television and Disney Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) took to the stage at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival to announce further projects for Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney+ all of which were divided by their respective region.

Disney Branded Television announced the additions of Ariel, StuGo, Primo, ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series, Playdate with Winnie the Pooh and Disney Junior Wonderful World of Songs. Returning shows include The Wonderful World Of Mickey Mouse, Kiff, Firebuds and Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends.

Disney EMEA announced Magicampers, The Sunnyridge 3, The Doomies, Dragon Striker. The only returning series would be Chip ‘N’ Dale: Park Life. Unlike Disney Branded Television, Disney EMEA hadn't announced any new shows coming to the Disney Channel or Disney Junior as the latter is being distributed by Disney+.

Disney Branded Television handles the linear portfolio as the name implies but Disney EMEA despite serving as an independent unit had often credited these platforms. As seen in this presentation, Disney Branded Television credits their international feeds as "Disney platforms" which could imply several things.

One of which that wouldn't come as a shocker to the majority would be the abrupt cancellation of the Disney Channel and Disney Junior. They've cut off several feeds in Australia, Italy, United Kingdom and there's still plenty of feeds residing in Europe that hadn't lost transmission yet.

We assume it had to do with Disney+ as they didn't have a local presence in most countries and it's still like that to some extent. But it doesn't guarantee that these channels will sit put as some countries to have lost channels (like FOX) are still awaiting a platform if not Disney+ to hopefully view these shows.

As I've seen in the last months, Disney Channel and Disney Junior had been cutting back on programming and promoting a bulk of content from Disney+. So it's only a matter of time till Disney decides to pull the plug on the channels for some if not all these regions.

Another thing that brings about the brand's demise would be their original film segment Disney Channel Original Movies. Since Disney doesn't view their linear business as a priority the latter is distributed by Disney+ as Disney Original Movies while the streamer's current offering would be credited for Disney+.

News Shorts: eMedia Investments Allocates Two Radio Stations Jacaranda FM And Smile FM To Openview, Disney Channel To Launch Third Local Production Across Africa Wandi & Kabz And SoundCity Scoops Up Several Nollywood Films From Trybe TV

eMedia Investments is expanding the audio lineup on Openview

Jacaranda FM is a South African radio station, broadcasting in English and Afrikaans, with a footprint that covers Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the North West Province. The station's format is mainstream with programming constructed around a playlist of hit music from the 1980s, 1990s and now.

It is available on channel 602

Smile 90.4 FM is a bilingual (English and Afrikaans) adult contemporary radio station, broadcasting to the greater Cape Town Metropole and surrounding areas, including Paarl, Stellenbosch and Somerset West. Smile 90.4FM’s listeners are affluent, family orientated, enjoy a healthy lifestyle and care for their community at large.

It is available on channel 609.

Disney Channel to allocate more local content in the coming month

During the month, Disney Channel unveiled two local productions Kiff and Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire (streaming on Disney+ prior to its debut) with Disney Junior geared up to rollout their first local production Kiya And Kimoja Heroes in the coming month.

Also joining Kiya And Kimoja Heroes in September will be a 5 minute educational segment on the Disney Channel titled Wandi & Kabz.

Neither Disney or MultiChoice were able to provide further details about the segment but from what we've gathered it's likely a historical or biographical segment highlighting selected individuals with the first episode revolved on political activist Charlotte Maxeke.

SoundCity scoops up content from Trybe TV

SoundCity was launched in 2009 by Consolidated Media Associates as a Pan-African urban music and lifestyle channel. Beginning as a TV show promoting local musical acts, the brand was added to MultiChoice's DStv in 55 markets across Africa.

Consolidated Media Associates reaches 100 million households with brands like Spice TV for consumers across Africa alongside West African brands like Trybe TV, Televista, VillageSquare TV, OnTV Nigeria, OnMax, Urban96 Radio Network, Access 24 and Televise TV.

During the week, SoundCity registered several projects from Trybe TV including Top 5 Stars, Director Profile, One On One, Upclose and Personal, Behind The Scene, Morili, Heroes and Long Game. It's currently unknown why some of Trybe TV's titles is being listed under the channel.

Maybe it's CMA's way of trying to make their content accessible in other countries. Another could be that MultiChoice is looking to cut down on more channels in the last months several local channels like Novela Magic, ROK GH and Maisha Magic Movies (SA only) were axed.

Recap To The Decade: Disney Channel Resurfaced In The UK Prior To The Channel's 40th Anniversary

Disney Channel was ripped away from from the UK by the end of September 2020 alongside Disney Junior and Disney XD. This coincide with the channels termination in Africa alongside FOX Life with most feeds of Disney XD shuttered before the end of that financial year.

Unlike most Disney feeds across the world, Disney Channel was discontinued in the UK due to carriage disputes with cable providers. At the time, it was also stated that they plan extend distribution agreements for Disney channels in markets where Disney+ is also available.

Of course that may no longer be a priority as Disney is looking to sell their linear platforms in the U.S. which kind of proves several analysts theories about the brand moving away from cable TV so it's likely that more markets particularly in Europe will be joining the Disney Channels in the UK

Disney Channel was a teen centric channel featuring live-action productions like Hannah Montana, Jessie, Descendants and High School Musical alongside animation like Phineas And Ferb, Gravity Falls, Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir and Kim Possible. 

It's popularity led to the creation of preschool brand Disney Junior and male oriented Disney XD. Brands which initially leveraged selected content from the main channel and after seeing a popularity boost included first run programming and films.

Since 2020, Disney has been closing several channels across the world with more territories set to join the UK Disney Channels by end of the current financial year - 31 March 2024. Unlike other parts of the world, the UK Disney Channels have shown some sign of life.

Although they don't exist on linear platforms, Disney Channel's YouTube page remains active featuring clips (if not full episodes) of past productions from their linear counterpart. Compared to other feeds, it's currently unknown whether or if Disney will be looking to close that area soon.

Development Alert: Disney's Saturdays Coming This October To Disney Channel Across Africa, Phineas And Ferb And New Raven's Home Added To The Channel's Fall Lineup

Disney to rollout their first sitcom of 2023

Saturdays follows Paris Johnson, a 14-year-old girl forms the "We-B-Girlz" skate crew with her best friends: Simone and Ari. Together, they are determined to create the hottest skate routines in their local roller rink "Saturdays" and are working to become famous in Chicago, Illinois.

The coming of age comedy stars Danielle Jalade, Daria Johns, Peyton Z. Basnight, Jermaine Harris, Tim Johnson Jr., Golden Brooks, and Omar Gooding.

As mentioned in the headline, Disney Channel has been going through a dry spell with their live-action slate as the channel is saturated with animation (yay) alongside various Disney+ titles we assume the channel could be a gonner as the channel cuts back on programming.

Saturdays airs weekdays at 16:00 from 9 October and the recently added Kiff moves down to almost 2 hours which is 18:05 as Raven's Home forms as a double bill at 16:25 followed by Miraculous Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir at 17:15.

Weirdly enough, Saturdays will become a double bill later in that month meaning expect more doubles on the Disney Channel.

Another rebroadcast enters the Disney Channel

Phineas And Ferb follows the adventures of stepbrothers Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher, who are between eight and ten years old. They live in the fictional city of Danville in an unspecified tri-state area, as they seek ways to occupy their time during their "104 days of summer vacation ". 

Since it's debut, Phineas And Ferb remains as one channel's most successful shows. It conceived several films, spinoffs and merchandise and it was also one of the few shows (alongside Lab Rats and Walk The Prank) to be on Disney XD before the channel's departure.

Interesting to note, Phineas And Ferb resurfaced almost around the same month Disney XD was axed which was 1 September in 8:20 timeslot and three years later it will retain their timeslot a month later being 1 October - kinda weird really about this latest entry.

How MultiChoice Could Save The Disney Channel From Possible Extinction?

As part of a global effort to prioritise Disney+, the Mouse company had been shuttering several Disney Channels across the world with most notable territories residing in the UK, Australia and Asia. More channel closures are currently underway in Asia with more territories expected to follow.

MultiChoice has kept their remaining linear offering under warps for another two years while Disney continued to close about 18 channels in Asia as the goal was to close 100 international channels over the 30 channels in the previous year with more closures expected in the remaining regions.

Disney Channel is kind of put in that spot as it was basically M-Net in kids entertainment featuring animation like The Owl House, Gravity Falls and Star Vs. The Forces Of Evil to live-action like That's So Raven, High School Musical, Teen Beach and Camp Rock.

To see that all fold under a tile on Disney+ doesn't sit well with some viewers. As some struggle to cover most of their monthly expenses and those using the app often run into some technical difficulties. Also taking to the fact that South Africa is the only known region aside from Northern parts of Africa to have the streamer.

It is not available in other parts of Southern Africa much less the rest of Western and Eastern parts of the region.

The best way for MultiChoice to potentially phase out the Disney Channel would be to undergo a possible rebrand similar to Boomerang's transition to the preschool market with Cartoonito or as mentioned sometime ago by Disney's CEO, a potential sell/spinoff of the linear channel.

Sure most Disney Channels never resulted in a rebrand/spinoff but the outcome to their demise was proven unfavourable for cable providers particularly in Asia where they had their alternatives cutoff due to poor reception.

Disney Channel has become repetitive I mean Lab Rats has taken over their remaining live-action slate while their only primetime offering residing within animation is dominated by Miraculous with a bit of hiccups from The Ghost And Molly McGee and Hamster & Gretel.

And I feel that this revamped channel would try to give these remaining shows much exposure not only Miraculous. Considering that a majority of the channel is reruns as seen in the past months perhaps some minor exceptions like Lab Rats would fall under the new brand.

Disney Channel is something you can't duplicate and having a random channel like Nickelodeon would only make matters worse. Sure viewers may explore a similar lineup but the only reason would tune into the channel is for the actual. If this follow-up has any shot in survival it's through the content that made Disney Channel.

Disney Channel And Junior Africa's Schedule Dated August 6, 2023

With speculation of a possible closure within the EMEA region, we've monitored their lineup on a month to month basis and compared to previous years it almost looks as if The Disney Channels are prepping for the inevitable.

It's no secret that Disney has been prioritising their direct-to-consumer market or in this case, Disney+. As there's been a decline in households to have viewed their content so Disney+ is one way to keep these consumers onboard.

Of course, it has led to closure of Disney Channels in the UK, Italy, Australia and Asia as they're funneling content away from Disney+ and this has angered consumers so you see where they're getting at in removing these channels.

Below is a weekday schedule for Disney Channel and Disney Junior:

" bold means shows are ending soon or had been cancelled

00:00 The Owl House

00:25 The Owl House

00:50 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

01:15 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

01:40 Lab Rats: Elite Force

02:05 Walk The Prank

02:30 Walk The Prank

02:55 Vikingskool

03:20 Vikingskool

03:45 Sydney to the Max

04:10 Sydney to the Max

04:35 Walk The Prank

05:00 Lab Rats: Elite Force

05:25 Lab Rats: Elite Force

05:50 Descendants Wicked World

06:00 Vikingskool

06:25 Vikingskool

06:51 Hamster & Gretel

07:15 Hamster & Gretel

07:40 The Owl House

08:05 The Owl House

08:30 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

08:55 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

09:20 Lab Rats

09:45 Lab Rats

10:10 Sydney to the Max

10:35 Sydney to the Max

11:00 Descendants Wicked World

11:05 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

11:30 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

11:55 The Ghost and Molly McGee

12:20 The Ghost and Molly McGee

12:45 Big City Greens

13:10 Just Roll with It

13:35 Just Roll with It

14:00 The Ghost and Molly McGee

14:25 The Ghost and Molly McGee

14:50 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

15:15 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

15:40 The Ghost and Molly McGee

16:05 Lab Rats: Elite Force

16:30 Lab Rats: Elite Force

16:55 Descendants Wicked World

17:00 Big City Greens

17:25 Big City Greens

17:50 Just Roll with It

18:15 Just Roll with It

18:41 Lab Rats

19:06 Lab Rats 

19:30 Lab Rats

19:55 Sydney to the Max

20:20 Sydney to the Max

20:45 Bunk'd: Learning The Ropes

21:10 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

21:35 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

22:00 Lab Rats: Elite Force

22:25 Lab Rats: Elite Force

22:50 Just Roll with It

23:10 Just Roll with It

23:35 Bunk'd: Learning The Ropes 

The longest I've watched Disney Channel they've always been nostalgic repeating their shows from the early 2000s but when it came to newer originals those use to take up majority of the daytime if you count catch-up timeslots now it's only 36,7% and that small stake is used to air their most popular show, Miraculous alongside The Ghost And Molly McGee that there isn't much space to include more from their other shows.

Reruns which takes up 63,3% I mean almost 70% has in some stature very little content but it's amazing how such little can actually get this much airtime compared to Cartoon Network which may come with less variety but have shows like Teen Titans GO! and Power Rangers fill up the daytime which can make up that 63,3%.

00:00 Gigantosaurus

00:25 Gigantosaurus

00:50 Gigantosaurus

01:15 Henry Hugglemonster

01:40 Henry Hugglemonster

02:05 Henry Hugglemonster

02:30 Henry Hugglemonster

02:55 Henry Hugglemonster

03:20 Henry Hugglemonster

03:45 Gigantosaurus

04:10 Gigantosaurus

04:35 Henry Hugglemonster

05:00 Henry Hugglemonster

05:30 Henry Hugglemonster

06:00 Gigantosaurus

06:30 Gigantosaurus

07:00 Bluey

07:30 Bluey

08:00 Superkitties

08:30 Mickey Mouse Funhouse

09:00 Spidey and His Amazing Friends

09:30 Firebuds

10:00 Bluey

10:30 Bluey

11:00 Superkitties

11:30 Mickey Mouse Funhouse

12:00 Alice's Wonderland Bakery

12:30 Bluey

13:00 Bluey

13:30 Firebuds

14:00 Firebuds

14:30 Mickey Mouse Funhouse

15:00 Sofia The First

15:30 Superkitties

16:00 Superkitties

16:30 Alice's Wonderland Bakery

17:00 Bluey

17:30 Bluey

18:00 Spidey and His Amazing Friends

18:30 Spidey and His Amazing Friends

19:00 Mickey Mouse Funhouse

19:30 Bluey

20:00 Bluey

20:30 Firebuds

21:00 Superkitties

21:30 Sofia The First

22:00 Sofia The First

22:30 Mickey Mouse Funhouse

23:00 Gigantosaurus

23:30 Gigantosaurus 

Disney Junior's current format reacts to what's already been the norm of Cartoon Network which means having their most popular show take over the channel or in this case, Bluey. Similar to CN, you're mostly seeing their current shows which is very little take up the channel.

If it's any consolation, Disney Channel looks better in comparison as there's more variety despite the latter being bombarded with shows once offered by Disney XD.

Development Alert: Marvel's Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur To Stream On Disney+, No Plans To Launch On The Disney Channel

Few years ago, Disney XD was ripped away from viewers across Africa and most parts of the world as further content is allocated on Disney+. MultiChoice was able to retain the remaining linear offering from Disney through 2024 or as stated in press statement "another two years".

Several shows announced for one of their brands particularly The Disney Channel included a new season of Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir alongside new series Magic Bake Off, Secrets Of Sulphur Springs, Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur and Ghost Force.

As seen already most of the content had already been viewed on Disney Channel everything except for Marvel Studios' female tailored action series, Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur. 

Based on the characters of Marvel Comics, it follows 13-year-old supergenius Lunella as she accidentally brings 10-ton Tyrannosaurus rex Devil Dinosaur into present-day New York City via a time vortex, they work together to protect the city's Lower East Side from danger.

The series was slated to air by 2022 on Disney Channel but was pushed to the following year. Ahead of its debut, production had already begun on a potential second season with the show recieving acclaim for its writing, animation and soundtrack following its rollout.

With questions lingering regarding its fate of the show across Africa, Disney was asked whether the series was part of Disney Channel's launch calendar as seen in Scandinavia but similar to Chip 'n Dale: Park Life, the latter had been folded under on Disney+.

Meaning similar to the final seasons of Big Hero 6 and Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure. Disney kept yet another show away from linear platforms as there are currently no plans to rollout any of this content on the Disney Channel.

Interesting to note, Marvel's Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur accessible to the Disney Channel in Scandinavia with Chip 'n Dale: Park Life in Africa known internationally as EMEA. Following the merger of these feeds, the latter was silently removed from the lineup.

Could this be the end of the Disney Channel???

Similar to FOX, Disney Channel has also been bombarded with reruns (e.g. Lab Rats and Walk The Prank from Disney XD) and promoted various content currently streaming on Disney+ (e.g. Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules and Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire).

Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire To Be Broadcast Across Africa This August On Disney Channel

After its global premiere on Disney+ last month, The Walt Disney Company Africa today announced that the Disney+ Original anthology series “Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire” will be broadcast across Africa when it lands on Disney Channel (DStv, Channel 303) this August.

Featuring stories from the continent, a double bill of films will be broadcast at 17:00 CAT each weekday from 28 August – 1 September with 5-film marathons airing at 15:15 CAT on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 September respectively.

“Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire” is an action-packed animated sci-fi anthology that presents ten futuristic visions from Africa, inspired by the continent’s diverse histories and cultures. Creators hailing from South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Uganda, Kenya and Zimbabwe present uniquely African perspectives to imagine brave new worlds of advanced technology, aliens, spirits, and monsters.

Says Christine Service, Senior Vice President and General Manager of The Walt Disney Company Africa: “We are excited to be bringing this innovative and celebrated series to viewers across the continent, giving those without access to Disney+ the chance to be part of an unforgettable ride into Africa’s future, presenting visions of the continent as never before seen.”

The ten creators include Ahmed Teilab (Egypt), Simangaliso ‘Panda’ Sibaya and Malcolm Wope (South Africa), Terence Maluleke and Isaac Mogajane (South Africa), Ng’endo Mukii (Kenya), Shofela Coker (Nigeria), Nthato Mokgata and Catherine Green (South Africa), Pious Nyenyewa and Tafadzwa Hove (Zimbabwe), Tshepo Moche (South Africa), Raymond Malinga (Uganda) and Lesego Vorster (South Africa).

The sci-fi series features an exciting cast from across the globe and includes the voices of Florence Kasumba (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”), Kehinde Bankole (“Blood Sisters”), Pearl Thusi (“Queen Sono”), Hakeem Kae-Kazim (“Hotel Rwanda”, “Godzilla vs. Kong”), Sheila Munyiva (“Rafiki”), Stycie Waweru (“Supa Modo”, “Supa Sema”), Candice Modiselle (“Generations: The Legacy”), Lillian Dube (“Soul City”), Clementine Mosimane (“Poppie Nongena”), and Mandisa Nduna (“Blood Psalms”), as well as comedians Tumi Morake (“Serious Single”), Sne Dladla (“Black Tax”) and Tyson Ngubeni (“A Royal Surprise”) and rappers Nasty C (“Blood & Water”) and Gigi Lamayne (“Temptation Island: South Africa”).

Oscar®-winning director Peter Ramsey (“Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse”), Tendayi Nyeke and Anthony Silverston all serve as executive producers. Triggerfish is the lead studio for the anthology, working in collaboration with animation studios across the continent and globally.

“Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire” will premiere on Disney Channel (DStv, Channel 303) with double bills each weekday from 28 August – 1 September at 17:00 (CAT), with special 5-film marathons on 2 and 3 September at 15:15 (CAT).

What's Happening To The Disney Channel On DStv?

During the year, The Walt Disney Company had been strengthening the reach of Disney+ by using their a vast majority of Disney Channel and Disney Junior to promote a variety of content and this includes Chip'n'Dale: Park Life, Lady And The Tramp and Phineas And Ferb: Candice Against The Universe.

As seen in June, Chip'n'Dale: Park Life had been phased out from Disney Channel for more Miraculous Ladybug. If that doesn't get any worse apparently new episodes were slatted to be broadcast this month alongside The Owl House but due to some restructuring within the Disney stable those were delayed.

Similar to Disney XD, The House Of Mouse merged several feeds of The Disney Channel alongside the preschool component, Disney Junior. It's possible that Chip'n'Dale: Park Life was only removed as consumers hadn't viewed the content as yet similar to Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur in Africa.

As to whether these channels are on the verge of closing down, MultiChoice will carry them through (presumably early) 2024 for consumers in Africa but it's unknown whether all the upcoming content such as Zombies: The Re-Animated Series, Primo and even The Little Mermaid will be accessible before that happens.

Another theory is that these channels could live on for a couple more years presumably to just create hype about this content. But I don't think these brands have much of a future as the company hasn't tried distributing their brand to new territories and have other companies manage their content.

I mean if the goal was to keep the linear business alive why not get this content out there, why burden remaining consumers with this offering if you're only intention is to rip it away and divide linear consumers from streaming.

Disney Channel has shaped a lot of childhoods when it launched in 2008 with shows like That's So Raven, Hannah Montana and Phineas And Ferb alongside Disney Channel Original Films like Camp Rock, High School Musical, Cheetah Girls and Teen Beach.

Since it's rollout in 2011, Disney Junior had become the leading destination in preschool entertainment with shows like Doc McStuffins, Sofia The First, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Jake And The Neverland Pirates.

MultiChoice being the distributor of these channels would have to look at possible replacements some brands that come to mind include Kartoon Channel, WildBrain, ZooMoo and hopefully not repeat tainted channels like Nicktoons as seen in some parts of the world.

Another thing that some readers addressed was the backlash on replacements. My idea would be that the Disney Channels discontinuation would be treated as a rebrand sort of get another brand to occupy the space or have some of their content added to the lineup before the swap.

But I'm not expecting that although it would make sense consumer wise. The best option when looking at replacements is to take these brands to account Disney Channel was too mature for their current demographic while as Disney Junior was more entertaining something MultiChoice should look into when deciding replacements.

Sky launched a dedicated kids channel in the UK licencing content from NBCUniversal and featuring original productions. It wouldn't be far fetched if MultiChoice did something similar for consumers in Africa.

Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery aren't really looking to consolidate the content to streaming services but the moment your DStv becomes a VCR or a typewriter they're likely to pull the plug on their channels and get consumers onboard their own platforms.

MultiChoice aligning themselves closer to the kids market wouldn't seem far fetched as the last was with K-TV and Koowee both were handled by M-Net. This channel doesn't necessarily have to be M-Net based but come from another local provider like Ngwato Nkosi Group (Movie Room).

Could National Geographic And The Disney Channel Also Be Shutting Down Across Africa By The End Of 2023?

Last month, it was reported that The Walt Disney Company plans to shutter the remaining linear offering in Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and Korea by the fourth quarter of the year with several content being integrated to Disney+ as the streaming service becomes their top priority.

During the week, it was learnt by Bob Iger, the current CEO of The Walt Disney Company that a possible restructure could be underway for their linear offering which could see some brands under their care being sold to foreign companies if not closed down as seen internationally.

MultiChoice extended their agreement with them for their remaining linear offering through 2024 and this included factual brands National Geographic and National Geographic Wild, sports brands ESPN 1 & ESPN 2 and children's channels Disney Channel and Disney Junior.

It's likely that these channels might be going dark by the end of the year if not later in 2024. Taking to account, the previous terminations: Disney XD closed September 2020 which coincides with the UK's Disney Channels followed by the FOX feeds in Africa, Germany and Asia in 2021.

Another thing, although MultiChoice states these channels will be carried through 2024 it's clearly stated in their 2021 press release that these channels stick around for "another two years" possibly hinting at a December 2023 closure which coincides with Asia.

Although not much has been confirmed on an end date, the blue brands favourite months for such escapades are January, February, June, September and December - kind of seasonal when you look at it.

In the past months, Disney Channel has been promoting a bulk of Disney+ content as well aired rebroadcasts of Walk The Prank and Lab Rats. Disney Junior schedules on the other hand is overcrowded by Bluey with some repeat variety in between.

Marketing for these brands had been downsized with further feeds seen internationally being merged as seen with Disney XD before it's demise.

Disney Branded Television Could Be Put Up For Sale

Disney CEO Bob Iger sat down with CNBC's David Faber at Allen & Co.'s annual conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, on Thursday.

Disney announced Wednesday that it was extending Iger's contract by two years through 2026. Iger returned to the helm of Disney late last year. The company has since undergone thousands of layoffs and cut billions of dollars in spending, including from content.

Disney CEO Bob Iger on media landscape: Challenges are greater than I had anticipated

DisneynhhCEO Bob Iger opened the door to selling the company's linear TV assets as the business struggles during the media industry's transition to streaming and digital offerings.

Iger appeared Thursday on, the morning after the company announced it would extend his contract by two years through 2026. He returned to the helm of the company in November after Disney's board ousted Bob Chapek with a two-year contract through 2024 and plans to find a next successor.

"After coming back, I realized the company is facing a lot of challenges, some of them self-inflicted," Iger told David Faber at Allen & Co.'s annual conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, noting he's accomplished a lot of work in seven months but there's more to be done.

At the top of the list is assessing the traditional TV business, Iger said. Disney owns a portfolio of TV networks, from broadcast station ABC to cable TV channels like ESPN. 

Disney is going to be "expansive" in its thinking about the traditional TV business, leaving the door open to a possible sale of the networks. "They may not be core to Disney," Iger said, adding the creativity that has come from those networks has been key for Disney. 

On Thursday, ABC News President Kim Godwin to employees expressed support for Iger's contract extension, according to a person familiar with the matter. Godwin encouraged ABC staffers to focus on their work and audience, the person added.

Cable TV channel ESPN is in a different bucket, however. On that front, Iger said Disney is open to finding a strategic partner, which could take the form of a joint venture or offloading an ownership stake. 

Iger said when he had left the company he had predicted the future of traditional TV and had been "very pessimistic," and has found since his return that he was right in his thinking, adding it's worse than he expected. 

When Iger last spoke with Faber in February, soon after announcing a major restructuring at the company, he said that he felt "a sense of obligation" to return to Disney and that his preference was to stay for his two-year contract.

"We've gotten a lot done very quickly, significant cost reductions and significant realignment of the company," Iger said. "But dealing head on with some of our biggest challenges."

The appearance in February came shortly after Disney announced a sweeping restructuring that included thousands of layoffs and billions of dollars cut in spending.

The reorganization warded off a potential proxy fight with activist investor Nelson Peltz.

Disney reorganized into three segments: Disney Entertainment, which includes most of its streaming and media operations; an ESPN division; and a parks, experiences and product unit.

These were some of Iger's most significant actions in the months after his return. Disney revealed it would cut $5.5 billion in costs, consisting of $3 billion from content, excluding sports, and the remaining amount from noncontent costs. The company earmarked 7,000 layoffs.

In addition to looking for his next successor, Iger has been tasked with bringing Disney's streaming business to profitability. In the last year, media executives across all companies have focused on how to make streaming profitable, particularly after behemoth Netflix lost subscribers early last year and since instituted an ad-supported tier and a crackdown on password sharing to drive revenue.

While the company posted revenue and profit in line with Wall Street estimates last quarter, it saw a loss of 4 million subscribers at its flagship streamer Disney+.

Those subscriber losses were offset by price increases, which Iger said in May weren't to blame for the lower numbers. Instead, he said it showed room for further increases when it comes to streaming, and pushing customers toward the ad-supported tier, with the aim of reaching profitability.

In an effort to bulk up Disney+ and attract more subscribers to its cheaper, ad-supported tier – which it launched last year – the company announced last quarter it would add Hulu content to Disney+.

Disney has been weighing whether it should buy all of Hulu, as it owns 66% and Comcast

 owns the rest. It's likely Comcast will sell its Hulu stake to Disney at the beginning of 2024, CNBC previously reported.

Iger said Thursday that since he returned to Disney, he ultimately concluded the company is "better off having Hulu." 

He added the combined Hulu and Disney+ offering would be available by the end of the calendar year, and the upcoming negotiations with Comcast over valuation wouldn't prevent that. 

"The combination of those apps is designed to obviously help the [streaming] business become profitable," Iger said.

New Movie Alert: Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules Premiering July 28th On Disney Channel Africa

The riotous antics of angst-ridden, disaster-prone middle school student Greg Heffley continue in “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules,” focusing this time around on his complicated relationship with older brother Rodrick. A spikey-haired high school student, Rodrick is lazy and undisciplined and spends way too much time practicing with his rock band, Löded Diper. While he loves to torment Greg, he ultimately has a deep affection for his younger brother.

Directed by Luke Cormican (“Teen Titans Go!) and written and produced by Jeff Kinney, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules” features the voices of Brady Noon (“The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers”), Ethan William Childress (“mixed-ish”), Edward Asner (“Up”), Chris Diamantopoulos (“Silicon Valley”), Erica Cerra (“Power Rangers”), and Hunter Dillon (“Deadpool 2”). “

The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics, audiences and fans. With some being mixed on the film having some flaws the first film have, but was mostly praised for its longer runtime and some fans considered it as a improvement over the first one.

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules” premiered December 2nd 2022 on Disney+ and will be made available on the Disney Channel by July 28th, 2023.  Other upcoming attractions include Kiff and the final season of The Owl House.

During the year, Disney Channel has been promoting a bulk of content from Disney+ including animated series Chip 'n Dale: Park Life and Kiff alongside feature films Lady And The Tramp, Ice Age: Adventures Of Buck Wild and Phineas And Ferb: Candice Against The Universe.

Development Alert: The Final Episodes Of The Owl House To Rollout In The Coming Months Alongside New Series Kiff On Disney Channel Africa

The Walt Disney Company has been closing several international channels across the world with a few more channels set to close in Asia by the end of 2023. While as remaining linear channels had since then merged with other international territories to form a unified feed.

As cable becomes obsolete each passing second, The Walt Disney Company opts to prioritise Disney+ with the best of Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, National Geographic and leave the remaining linear offering to promote the bulk of content viewed on their streaming platform.

Kiff, an upcoming animated series that was unveiled at the 2021 Annecy International Film Festival forms part of those endeavours by the streamer. It follows an an optimistic squirrel whose best intentions often lead to complete chaos, and her best friend Barry, a sweet and mellow bunny.

It was produced by Titmouse who also worked on Mao Mao: Heroes Of Pure Heart on Cartoon Network and Home: The Adventures Of Tip And Oh on DreamWorks.

Kiff is slated to make its international debut on the Disney Channel by August 21st. Prior to that, the fantasy drama The Owl House is set to make its final rounds months prior by July 15th.

When a human girl named Luz stumbles upon a portal to another world, she befriends a rebellious witch named Eda and a warrior named Dragon. She soon discovers her dream of becoming a witch and finds herself welcome in a new family.

The Owl House has received widespread critical acclaim from critics and fans, with many praising it's animation, humor, characters, voice acting, themes, emotional weight, and its LGBTQIA+ representation compared to other Disney media,

Regular Nick Shorts: Cartoon Network And Max Acquired Rights To Lana Longbeard With Tara Duncan Loading Up On Disney Channel And Gamebox To Rollout A 60 Minute Ghostbusters Game

Zephyr Animation

2D-animated comedy Lana Longbeard has landed its first presales, with Warner Bros. Discovery (EMEA), Super RTL (Germany), Gulli (France) and CBC (Canada) claiming it for their regions. Co-produced by Zephyr Animation (APC Kids’ production arm) and Canadian studio Copernicus, the 52 x 11-minute series for six to nines tells the story of a courageous teen girl who sets sail on her father’s viking ship on a quest to become a famous adventurer. APC Kids has the global distribution rights.

Superights

Animated adventure series Tara Duncan will be distributed worldwide (excluding China) by Paris-based Superights. Produced by Princess Sam Pictures and based on a 15-book series by Sophie Andouin-Mamikonian, this CG-animated show stars a girl who travels to a magical planet to learn how to control her powers and defeat evil villains. Princess Sam has already sold the first season (52 x 13 minutes) to buyers including Disney (France, Belgium, Japan, Africa and the Netherlands), Rai (Italy) and RTE (Ireland), and a second 52-ep season is currently in production.

Columbia Pictures Location Based Entertainment

Who you gonna call? A Ghostbusters VR game is in the works at Columbia Pictures Location Based Entertainment and Immersive Gamebox. Based in London, Immersive Gamebox operates experiential game rooms where content from popular entertainment brands is projected onto the walls for kids to interact with through touch-screens and motion-tracking. The techco is gearing up to launch a 60-minute Ghostbusters: The Cursed Collection game at its 20 locations in the UK, EMEA and US later this year. In the experience, kids will explore haunted streets and battle ghosts from the ’80s movie franchise.

The Walt Disney Company To Close 11 Channels In Taiwan, Could Africa Follow Perhaps?

In 2021, The Walt Disney Company unveiled plans to close 100 international channels so there was a lot of fear for the Disney Channels in Africa following the closure of Disney XD and FOX but MultiChoice managed to secure rights for these brands through 2024.

Fast forward to 2023, The Walt Disney Company had confirmed the closure of more channels with consumers in Taiwan set to lose out on a number of brands including National Geographic, National Geographic Wild, Baby TV, Star Entertainment and Star World.

Disney+ launched in 2019 and has since then become a top priority for the blue brand. Not much investment is going onto Disney Channel or National Geographic as the brands being used to promote the bulk of content seen on the streaming service.

Following the demise of these channels in Taiwan, there's now a lot of fear for these channels in Africa and I know MultiChoice had managed to carry Disney Channel, Disney Junior, National Geographic and National Geographic Wild through 2024.

But for all we know these channels could go dark by the 31st December 2023 at 23:59 which rounds up to 2024 as seen in Taiwan. It had been speculated that most of The Walt Disney Company"s linear offering won't leave past 2025 in European territories.

Disney XD was terminated in Africa alongside the United Kingdom's Disney Channels in 2020 followed by FOX which saw the brand exit Germany, Asia and Africa by 2021. Now there's rumours swirling that the brand would be closing channels across Africa by early 2024.

Disney Branded TV & Disney EMEA Kicked Off Next 100 Years Of Toons At Annecy

Disney Branded Television and Disney Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) took to the stage at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival to announce new projects, debut sneak-peeks, and highlight the expansion of current hit series that are poised to usher in the next century of Disney storytelling.

Titled “The Next 100,” the presentation centered on both Disney’s storied legacy in animation, as well as how the company is creating the next generation of hits. Hélène Etzi, Country Manager & General Manager of Media for The Walt Disney Company France, opened the presentation with Orion Ross, Vice President of Animation for The Walt Disney Company EMEA, and Ayo Davis, President of Disney Branded Television, making several announcements.

Ross announced greenlights for the all-new preschool adventure series Magicampers, set to premiere globally on Disney+ and Disney Junior next year, and the original comedy series The Sunnyridge 3. He also gave attendees a first look at the official trailer for the sci-fi anthology Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, premiering July 5 on Disney+ (check it out here). New episodes of fan-favorite Chip ‘n’ Dale: Park Life, coming later this year, were revealed, and the latest artwork for the upcoming EMEA originals The Doomies and Dragon Striker was unveiled.

Davis gave attendees a sneak peek of upcoming series and made several announcements, including the greenlight of Disney Junior’s Ariel, a new series inspired by The Little Mermaid. Executive producer Lynne Southerland answered questions onstage and previewed an early animation test featuring Ariel and fan-favorite character Flounder.

Davis also announced the new Disney Channel series StuGo, as well as renewals for four popular series: season four of Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends, season three of Firebuds, season three of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder and season two of Kiff. She also shared sneak peeks of several animated shorts, along with other announcements (see below).

Ross and Davis commented: “We’re delighted to be in Annecy announcing our continued commitment to working with leading studios and creators here in France and across the globe, to bring new voices, universal stories and brilliant animation to kids and family audiences around the world.”

New Series Greenlights
Disney Branded Television

Disney Junior’s Ariel (Disney Junior)
Executive producer: Lynne Southerland
Producer: Ezra Edmond
Supervising Director: Kuni Tomita Bowen
Art Director: Chrystin Garland
Story Editors: Norma P. Sepulveda and Keith Wagner
Produced by: Wild Canary in association with Disney Junior

Disney Junior’s Ariel is an animated musical series for preschoolers inspired by the beloved story of The Little Mermaid. It follows eight-year-old mermaid princess Ariel as she and her friends embark on fun-filled, action-packed underwater adventures throughout their Caribbean-inspired fairytale kingdom of Atlantica and beyond. The series features fan-favorite characters, including King Triton, Ursula, Sebastian and Flounder, as well as exciting new additions like Ariel’s two best friends, mer-children Lucia and Fernie, and lots of other adorable sea creatures. The series is currently in production for a 2024 release across Disney platforms worldwide.

StuGo characters
StuGo (Disney Channel)
Creator/Executive Producer: Ryan Gillis
Co-Executive Producer: Sunil Hall
Story Editor: Craig Lewis
Produced by: Titmouse in association with Disney Channel

StuGo is an original animated series about six overambitious middle schoolers who are tricked into attending a fake academic summer camp by a mad scientist. Now they’re stuck for three months on a wild tropical island with mind-reading manatees, giant fighting fungi and fashion-forward mutants ― less academia than they’d hoped for, but a lot more adventure.

The newly announced cast includes Tania Gunadi as Pliny, Zosia Mamet as Merian, Gabourey Sidibe as Francis, Charlyne Yi as Larry, Zach Reino as Chip, Deborah Baker Jr. as Sara, and Lorraine Toussaint as Dr. Lullah.

Disney EMEA

Magicampers
Magicampers (Disney+)
Creator: Obie Scott Wade
Executive Producer: Sandrine Nguyen Tiet
Director: Daniel Dubuis
Writers: Ashley Mendoza, Simon Nicholson, Elizabeth Kamir
Produced by: Mikros Animation for Disney EMEA

Disney’s preschool original Magicampers follows the adventures of best friends Darly and Loomis at a day camp for magical creatures on a fantastical island. Darly is half-pig and half-Pegasus, Loomis is half-donkey and half-unicorn, and their young friends are also mythical mashups of all stripes. Every day they go on incredible journeys of discovery and dream of becoming legendary, having their stories told and retold for all time. At the heart of the series, Darly and Loomis will learn that becoming a legend isn’t about mastering magic powers or winning the biggest prize — it’s about understanding and accepting yourself and others and working together with all kinds of friends. The series stars a diverse young cast as the Magicampers, with Emmy Award winner Uzo Aduba (Mrs. America, Orange Is the New Black) as nature spirit and camp leader Treena.

THE SUNNYRIDGE 3 (Disney)
The Sunnyridge 3 (Disney+)
Creators: Stevie Gee and Essy May
Executive Producers: Chapman Maddox, Jen Coatsworth, James Stevenson Bretton, Jon Rutherford, Benjamin Lole
Director: Liz Whittaker
Head Writer: Jack Bernhardt
Produced by: Blink Industries and Boat Rocker for Disney EMEA

In the original comedy-mystery series The Sunnyridge 3, a trio of lifelong best friends investigate strange goings-on in a uniquely bizarre shopping center on the fringes of suburban London. Rose, Jeru and Wayne practically grew upat the Sunnyridge Mall, but this summer, the weirdness has gone to a whole new level. With their imaginations running wild, they will chase down any conspiracy theory no matter where it leads. Could it be werewolves, hauntings or an ancient curse? Robots, aliens or renegade AI? The trio will discover that the truth is always stranger than fiction in this unpredictable genre-bending mashup created by British team Stevie Gee and Essy May. Multiple award-winning U.K. animation studio Blink Industries (Dead End: Paranormal Park; Love, Death + Robots) produces, in association with multiple award-winning global entertainment company Boat Rocker (Dino Ranch, Love Monster).

Sneak Peeks
Disney EMEA

Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire (July 5 on Disney+) — See full coverage here.

The Doomies
The Doomies (Disney+)
Creators: Andrès Fernandez & Pozla (a.k.a. Rémi Zaarour)
Producer: Marc du Pontavice
Director: Andrès Fernandez
Head Writer: Henry Gifford
Produced by: Xilam Animation for Disney EMEA

When best friends Bobby and Romy mistakenly open a gateway to another world, they turn their sleepy coastal town into a hotspot for terrifying creatures of doom. Roped into an epic supernatural mystery, they will cross paths with the so-called “Chosen One” and do battle with both literal and inner monsters. The Doomies is a spooky comedy that combines thrills, chills and surprises with character-driven comedy from an odd couple of ordinary teens engulfed by extraordinary circumstances. Its fast-paced humor and high-stakes action take place in a quirky French town in the heart of Brittany, imagined with moody flair and graphic style.

Dragon Striker
Dragon Striker (Disney+)
Creator/Producer: Sylvain Dos Santos
Director: Charles Lefebvre
Head Writer: Paul McKeown
Produced by: Cybergroup Studios and La Chouette Compagnie for Disney EMEA

When the world’s most popular sport combines with magic, awesomeness escalates quicker than a dragon-powered strike! In this action-packed adventure full of comedy and high-stakes sports drama, elite players have magical signature moves they can use on the pitch. Twelve-year-old Key is a farm-boy fanboy who can only dream of entering the famous school where the greatest players train before joining the big leagues — until he discovers he has his own ultra-powerful spell and may even be the legendary Dragon Striker. Key joins a team of hapless underdogs who band together to take on the school champions, all the while fighting to prevent an ancient evil from resurfacing.

Disney Branded Television

The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse: Steamboat Silly (July 28 on Disney+)
Executive Producer: Paul Rudish
Producer: Philip M. Cohen
Director: Eddie Trigueros
Produced by: Disney Television Animation

The beloved Emmy Award-winning The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse shorts culminate with a final episode titled Steamboat Silly, which follows Mickey Mouse and his friends as they must stop hundreds of old film reel versions of Mickey from wreaking havoc all over town. The short will debut July 28 on Disney+ as part of Disney’s 100-year anniversary celebration.

Primos (Disney Channel)
Creator/Executive Producer: Natasha Kline
Producer: Philip Cohen
Supervising Director: Shaun Cashman
Story Editor: Karla Sakas Shropshire
Produced by: Disney Television Animation

From Emmy Award-nominated creator and executive producer Natasha Kline, Primos introduces Tater Ramirez Humphrey, an eccentric girl with big dreams, determined to find what makes her extraordinary. When her 12 chaotic cousins (“primos” in Spanish) move in for the summer, they help her discover her true self. The series is inspired by Kline’s childhood experiences with her extended multicultural Mexican American family.

The newly announced main cast includes Myrna Velasco as Tater Ramirez Humphrey; Melissa Villaseñor as Tater’s younger sister, Nellie Ramirez Humphrey; Michelle Ortiz as Tater’s mom, Bibi Ramirez Humphrey; and Jim Conroy as Tater’s dad, Bud Humphrey.

The recurring cast includes Angélica María as Tater’s grandmother, Buela; Liza Koshy as Tater’s friend, Serena; and cousins Becca Q. Co (Lotlot), Cristina Valenzuela (Tere and Toñita), Elizabeth Grullón (Lita), Jonathan Melo (Scooter), Sarah Tubert (Cookita), Natasha Kline (Gordita and ChaCha), Nomi Ruiz (Tabi), Rick Simon (Big Nacho and Cousin Bud) and Ryan Anderson Lopez (Nachito).

ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series
ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series (Disney Channel)
Executive Producers: Aliki Theofilopoulos, Jack Ferraiolo, Gary Marsh, David Light, and Joseph Raso
Producer: Melanie Pal
Supervising Director: Leah Artwick
Story Editor: Rachel McNevin
Produced by: Disney Television Animation

Meg Donnelly and Milo Manheim will reprise their roles as Seabrook’s star-crossed zombie/cheerleader couple, Zed and Addison, in Disney Branded Television’s next iteration of the hit ZOMBIES franchise. Fans can first catch the Seabrook crew in animated form in ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series Shorts, premiering Friday, July 21, on Disney Channel, Disney Channel YouTube and DisneyNOW, and thereafter on Disney+. Next, ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series, a new comedy-musical animated series, will premiere on Disney Channel.

ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series Shorts is an animated short-form series that continues the adventures of fan favorites Zed, Addison and the Seabrook crew from the hit ZOMBIES franchise. The shorts, which keep the spirit and jam-packed music of the movies, find the friends encountering new monsters — a carnivorous plant monster, horrifying mega-cricket and even evil clones — while dealing with school and new experiences like a never-ending summer time loop.

Reprising their roles are Ariel Martin, Chandler Kinney and Pearce Joza as werewolves Wynter, Willa and Wyatt; Carla Jeffery and Trevor Tordjman as cheerleaders Bree and Bucky; Jonathan Langdon as Coach; James Godfrey and Kylee Russell as zombies Bonzo and Eliza; and Terry Hu as outer space alien A-Spen.

Playdate with Winnie the Pooh
Playdate with Winnie the Pooh (Disney Junior)
Executive Producer: Chris Hamilton
Co-Executive Producer: Elise Fachon
Producer: Greg Chalekian
Director: Jojo Ramos Patrick
Produced by: OddBot Inc. in association with Disney Junior

Playdate with Winnie the Pooh follows a young Pooh Bear as he enjoys playdates with his friends. Set in the exciting outdoors of the Hundred Acre Wood, these musical shorts emphasize collaborative play and the joy of spending time with others. Playdate with Winnie the Pooh is set to debut this summer in the U.S. and will then rollout globally.

Disney Junior Wonderful World of Songs (Disney Junior)
Executive Producer: Chris Hamilton
Co-Executive Producer: Elise Fachon
Producer: Greg Chalekian
Director: Henry Dalton
Produced by: OddBot Inc. in association with Disney Junior

These musical shorts for preschoolers celebrate the heritage of Disney with classic characters and songs from beloved movies, series and attractions that highlight the wonder and magic of the iconic brand. Performed by popular musical artists Rob Cantor and Genevieve Goings (Disney Junior Nursery Rhymes), the shorts feature reimagined versions of classic songs, including “Circle of Life” from “The Lion King,” “You Can Fly!” from “Peter Pan,” “How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana” and “It’s A Small World.” The shorts will begin airing on Disney Junior and Disney+ in the U.S. this summer as part of Disney’s 100-year anniversary celebration.

Series Renewals
Disney EMEA

Chip ‘N’ Dale: Park Life New Episodes (Disney+)
Producer: Marc du Pontavice
Directors: Jean Cayrol, Frédéric Martin, Khalil Ben Namaane
Head Writer: Nicole Paglia
Produced by: Xilam Animation for Disney EMEA

Chip ‘n’ Dale: Park Life stars Disney’s much-loved chipmunk underdogs in a nonverbal, classic-style comedy, following the ups and downs of two little creatures living life in a big city park. Combining the traditions of slapstick cartoons with contemporary, comedic character-driven narratives, season two introduces huge new adventures for the two tiny troublemakers. Nervous worrier Chip and laid-back dreamer Dale are joined in their perpetual pursuit of acorns by Donald, Pluto, Butch and other iconic Disney characters as they face down bullies, great and small.

Disney Branded Television

Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends Season 4 (Disney Junior)
Executive Producer: Harrison Wilcox
Co-Executive Producers: Bart Jennett and Chris Moreno
Co-Producer/Story Editor: Becca Topol
Supervising Producer: Steve Grover
Produced by: Disney Junior and Marvel Studios in association with Atomic Cartoons

The first full-length Marvel series for preschoolers, Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends follows the adventures of Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy and Miles Morales as they team up with Iron Man, Hulk, Ms. Marvel and Black Panther to defeat foes like Rhino, Doc Ock and Green Goblin and learn that teamwork is the best way to save the day. Season four of the hit series will once again introduce even more new heroes and baddies for the Spidey team to interact with and be part of their adventures.

Firebuds Season 3 (Disney Junior)
Creator/Executive Producer: Craig Gerber
Producer: Craig Simpson
Supervising Director: Robb Pratt
Co-Story Editors: Krystal Banzon and Jeremy Shipp
Produced by: Disney Television Animation

From Emmy Award-winning creator and executive producer Craig Gerber (Elena of Avalor, Sofia the First), Firebuds is a music-filled series following a team of young kids who are the children of first responders, and their talking vehicle sidekicks, as they embark on adventures together and learn what it truly means to be a hero. Season three of the series will feature a water rescue theme.

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Season 3 (Disney+)
Creator/Executive Producer: Bruce W. Smith
Executive Producer: Ralph Farquhar
Co-Executive Producer/Story Editor: Calvin Brown, Jr.
Co-Executive Producer: Latoya Raveneau
Producer: Jan Hirota
Produced by: Disney Television Animation

The Emmy and NAACP Award-winning The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder revival follows the adventures and misadventures of 14-year-old Penny Proud and her Proud Family as they navigate modern life with hilarity and heart. The 2020s bring new career highs for mom Trudy, wilder dreams for dad Oscar and new challenges for Penny. Penny’s friends return, including Dijonay, LaCienega, Zoey and Michael, along with a couple of new faces, Maya and KG. Penny’s Suga Mama also returns, ready as ever to dispense tough love or a gentle hand whenever Penny needs it.

Kiff Season 2 (Disney Channel)
Creators/Executive Producers: Lucy Heavens and Nic Smal
Co-Producer/Story Editor: Kent Osborne
Producer: Winnie Chaffee
Produced by: Titmouse in association with Disney Channel

From South African creators and executive producers Lucy Heavens and Nic Smal, Kiff follows an optimistic squirrel, Kiff, and her chill bunny bestie, Barry, as they navigate school, relationships and their often-eccentric community in Table Town, a world where animals and magical oddballs tackle day-to-day life together. Inspired by the people and places Heavens and Smal experienced when they were growing up in Cape Town, each half-hour episode, comprised of two 11-minute stories, includes a new original song.

News Shorts: The New Series SuperKitties Makes Its Highly Anticipated Debut On Disney Junior Africa Alongside Hamster And Gretel On Disney Channel Africa, My Desire Shortened To 30 Minutes This June In Favour Of Timeless Love And History Channel To Cease Transmission In Russia

More kiddies entertainment for DStv customers

SUPERKITTIES
FROM 1 JUNE AT 08:00
DISNEY JUNIOR
Ginny, Sparks, Buddy and Bitsy are not only cute and cuddly kittens, but are also brave, smart, strong and kind, and turn into SuperKitties when trouble arises.

HAMSTER & GRETEL
FROM 16 JUNE AT 15:15
DISNEY CHANNEL
Gifted with amazing superpowers, Gretel and her pet hamster decide to join hands with her teenage brother to protect their city from evil supervillains.

My Desire to lose a half hour

As mentioned earlier in the year, Star Life has halved most of their primetime series with Lost In Love and Anupama currently on air for 30 minutes (21 minutes if you're avoiding the ads). Reason being they want to these soaps to collide with the current offering in India.

During the month, Star Life unveiled the Star Bharat original, Timeless Love (Na Umra Ki Seema Ho) a story about a couple with an age gap who have to fight tooth and nail in order to be together.

As seen through an updated programme guide, Timeless Love will air for an hour (42 minutes if you're avoiding ads) from June 1st to June 4th at 19:30 to 20:30 meaning My Desire will be getting the short end of the stick in a 30 minute timeslot.

History is the next international channel to depart Russia

Following Russia's invasion to the Ukraine, several international outlets such as The Walt Disney Company, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery had opted to retract their services within the region with Russia Today being phased out from international outlets.

A+E Networks, being one of the few international outlets to offer their services within the regions with History and H2 had announced their termination across Bulgaria with H2 that went dark during the week with History expected to follow by the end of June.

History is still available in Italy, Portugal, Germany, Spain, UK and Ireland, Asia, India and South Africa.

Could A K-TV Type Channel Be Heading To MultiChoice's DStv Once Disney Channel Exits The African Market?

In 2021, The Walt Disney Company ripped the general entertainment channel FOX away from African countries alongside several other European territories. Amidst that time, MultiChoice renewed the agreement for their remaining channels through 2024.

The Walt Disney Company supplies factual and wildlife brands National Geographic and National Geographic Wild, kids brands Disney Channel and Disney Junior and sports channels ESPN 1 & 2.

As seen after the closure of FOX, several programs viewed on the brand were folded under the streaming service, Disney+ with National Geographic and Disney Channel anticipated to suffer a similar fate in the coming future - still no word on ESPN.

Disney Channel serves as one of the few brands on DStv to offer content for a mature audience with shows like Bunk'd, Raven's Home and Hannah Montana alongside animation like Phineas And Ferb, The Ghost And Molly McGee and The Owl House.

As mentioned, all of this will be put on a tile through Disney+ and unlike FOX in which MultiChoice turn to brands like M-Net, BBC Brit and Universal for similar content. Disney Channel just like these brands is basically premium tier of the kids section.

Meaning consumers are going to expect MultiChoice to source out an alternative brand as it's not like Nicktoons were most content can be viewed on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. as this is a brand with content consumers are expected to miss.

Over to replacements, considering the impact Disney Channel had offer tweens and older kids. The channel would likely have to do the same in order to keep the masses at bay and as seen in most international outlets this brand would come with its own programming.

The only thing that came to mind was K-TV, a defunct kids brand from M-Net serving up a lot of licenced material from NBCUniversal, BBC, Mattel Creations, Cookie Jar Group, The Walt Disney Company before being supplemented by Nickelodeon.

Although M-Net and MultiChoice expressed no interest in returning the K-TV brand. A few months ago, Sky (a division of Comcast) rolled out their children's division through Sky Kids featuring original content alongside content from DreamWorks Animation.

Would it be shocking if MultiChoice launched their own version of Sky Kids probably in partnership with NBCUniversal despite the existence of DreamWorks as the company already retains a 30% stake in Showmax alongside various other partnerships.

This channel could take up the format once seen on Universal Kids with live-action shows like Hank Zipzer, Bajillionaires, The Next Step alongside animation like She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power, Voltron Legendary Defenders and Dennis: Gnasher Unleashed.

Showmax rolled out their first original animated series Jay Jay: The Chosen One with plans to do more if successful. Maybe this could be one of the new offerings for the supposed channel.

What To Expect On Disney Africa Channels In May 2023?

Disney Channel:

Villains Of Valley View
17 May at 17:50
Furious about insulting her family, Amy attacks Onyx, the leader of the supervillains. In an attempt to save themselves, Amy and her family live concealed in a Texas town.

It is available on DStv channel 303

Disney Junior:

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures
4 May at 8:00
Jedi younglings study the ways of the Force, explore the galaxy, help citizens and creatures in need, and learn valuable skills needed to become Jedi along the way.

It is available on DStv channel 309.