eToonz Has Been Licensing Content From Former DStv Channel

MultiChoice had lost a total of 11 TV channels in the previous financial year namely Emmanuel TV, M-Net's Me and 1Magic and B4U Movies. Amidst this, the company was part of a takeover procedure by Canal+ which had concluded not long ago.

PBS Kids is an educational brand operated by Public Broadcasting System which offered content for viewers aged 4 to 9. The channel formed part of the various cuts at MultiChoice with shows suddenly appearing on eToonz.

eToonz is only licensed to consumers in South Africa and operated by eMedia Investments. Following PBS Kids' closure, various shows from the brand to have now been seen in the region include WordWorld, Let's Go Luna and Pinkalicious & Peterrific.

PBS Kids was accessible to the same as eToonz being DStv Easyview so consumers aren't necessarily missing out on much. Unlike those residing outside of the region who would need to access the latter on Showmax or on YouTube.

But the reality is that eToonz is not PBS Kids as they offer lesser content from the brand. The same can be said about Universal TV and Bravo after MultiChoice opted to axe 1Magic and Me consumers on those packages can't see shows like America's Got Talent or Yellowstone.

Companies like MultiChoice believe that by merging channels or not replacing removed ones would ensure an enhanced viewing experience. When consumers would have to pay the same amount for even less and opt to find alternatives alongside cancelling their subscription.

Could Nicktoons And Nick Jr. (Ethiopia) Also Be At Risk Of Exiting DStv?

Paramount is in the process of shutting down some of its linear operations in Europe and Africa by the end of 2025. This includes music brands like MTV Base alongside the black focused entertainment channel, BET both of are seen on MultiChoice's DStv.

Many insiders do warn that the cuts go beyond channel terminations but content as well. A while ago, MTV had cancelled their longest running shows Ridiculousness and Catfish: The TV Show followed by Beyond Bragga and Black Gold on BET.

For Nicktoons, Nick In Your Language has offered various shows in local languages including Paw Patrol, SpongeBob Squarepants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They also offer a musical program NickMusic which had been produced in the same production house as MTV Base.

From 2026, there's a very high possibility that alongside MTV Base and BET that these local projects on Nicktoons will be axed. 

Paramount sent a memo in July 2025 warning staff that local projects would be axed and their offices shut down. In Portugal, various channels from the company including Nickelodeon are expected to close by December 2025.

MultiChoice has seen a drop in subscriptions for their pay-tv service and following its buyout by Canal+. I'd imagine they're going to make cuts to their platform especially in markets like Ethiopia.

Canal+ had shut down its services in the region following its rollout in 2021 as they reported weak growth. MultiChoice is losing subscribers especially in Kenya and Nigeria which serve as major markets for DStv and Ethiopia is most definitely not exempt from these cuts.

MultiChoice had launched an Amharic version to Nick Jr. which very much like Nick In Your Language but as a standalone channel dubs various preschool shows. With Paramount shuttering it's offices in Africa there's no way Nick Jr. can operate independently.

Aside from BET and MTV Base, it's likely that Nick Jr. would be shutting down its localised feed in Ethiopia leaving the Pan-African feed intact. Nicktoons continues to be carried in some European markets so it's likely the one in Africa will just aligned to those markets as seen with Nickelodeon.

New Series Alert: Ideal Son-In-Law Coming Soon To Zee World

Zee World, an English dubbed Bollywood channel operated by Zee Entertainment Enterprises will be rolling out a new Hindi drama titled Ideal Son-In-Law. Known in India as Jamai No. 1, the series forms part of the channel's 2025/6 release calendar.

Synopsis for Ideal Son-In-Law 

Ideal Son-In-Law follows Neel Paranjape, a witty and unconventional man from Nashik, who becomes the resident son-in-law of the powerful Chotwani family. His arrival disrupts the household, led by the controlling matriarch Kanchan Chotwani, as he challenges traditions and exposes hidden family secrets. 

Riddhi Chotwani, his sharp and ambitious wife, supports him through schemes, misunderstandings, and dramatic crises, including disguises and rescues. Over time, Neel earns the family’s respect, reconciles conflicts, and transforms the family dynamics, ultimately proving his worth and uniting everyone in harmony.

Neel’s entry into the Chotwani household sets off a clash of values. Neel uses his wit, charm and unconventional outlook to challenge the existing family order, while Kanchan tries to maintain strict control. Riddhi finds herself caught between her mother’s authority and Neel’s disruptive influence.

Neel begins to uncover secrets in the Chotwani family, using his ingenuity rather than simply abiding by the rules. Kanchan responds with deception and manipulation, creating crises for Neel and testing his place in the family. For example: Neel kidnaps Kanchan in a masked episode, which Kanchan uses to claim he is mentally unstable.

It premiered on Zee TV from 9 December 2024 and concluded on 31 August 2025 after 251 episodes each with a duration of 22 minutes.

Ideal Son-In-Law starred Simaran Kaur as Riddhi Paranjape: Kanchan's adoptive daughter; Pratham's elder sister; Neel's wife and Abhishek Malik as Neel Paranjape: Son of Gangadhar and Sumati; Manjiri's brother; Riddhi's husband.

Nickelodeon International Will Be Premiering Two Brand New Transformers: EarthSpark Season Four Specials In December 2025

In Part One, "Hometown Heroes", every victory has a cost, and now the Maltos must face those consequences. Robby's caught abusing his powers, but Mo and "Detective" Thrash team up to prove their brother's innocence. Meanwhile, Twitch becomes her own worst enemy...(S4 993)

Full synopsis: Over the years, the Maltos and the Autobots have vanquished foes and protected Earth from destruction, but some victories have come at a tragic cost... Now, some are painting the heroes as villains and the Maltos must face those consequences. Even though Robby's powers give him status amongst his peers and purpose in his community, when he's caught abusing his power, he's unwittingly proving his detractors right. Sensing something isn't right, Mo and "Detective" Thrash team up to prove their brother was set up. Meanwhile, Twitch obsesses over mistakes she's made in the past and she becomes her own worst enemy. Still, the Maltos and the Autobots rally to battle enemies who will stop at nothing to destroy them - and other worlds. Twitch fails her team when they need her the most, and Robby can't be there for his sister to lean on. Luckily, an old ally arrives in in time to help. In the end, the heroes unite and end the fight, but the Maltos may never be the same again. TO BE CONTINUED...

Then, in Part Two, "Legacy of Hope," the Maltos and the Autobots search Cybertron for their missing allies. Failure is not an option, so Thrash steps up to help his struggling sister lead this important mission. Meanwhile, Robby and Mo find a new friend, and Optimus finds an old enemy. (S4 992)

Long synopsis: Robby and Mo are alone and vulnerable on Cybertron. After they venture into the unknown to find what they've lost, the rest of the Maltos and the Autobots arrive to search for their missing family and friends. Failure is not an option, so Thrash steps up to help his struggling sister lead this important mission. Tension builds between the troubled Twitch and the ultra-confident Thrash - dividing the team when they need to be united. Meanwhile, Robby and Mo find a new friend, and Optimus finds an old enemy. A confrontation leaves the Maltos and the Autobots severely weakened and scattered all over Cybertron while their enemy gains incredible strength and power. Twitch loses herself, Robby hits rock bottom, and Optimus Prime believes his worst fears have come true. Each must face their greatest challenges alone, and each needs to succeed if they're to stand a chance at defeating the rising evil on Cybertron threatening to cast its shadow across the entire universe. Luckily, it is in darkness that hope shines brightest.

Nickelodeon International will premiere the all-new Transformers: EarthSpark season four specials in December 2025, including on:

Nickelodeon Central and Eastern Europe (including Africa):

Saturday 6th December 2025 at 15:45 CET: Hometown Heroes

Sunday 7th December 2025 at 15:45 CET: Legacy of Hope

Nickelodeon Germany:

Friday 15th December 2025: Hometown Heroes

Friday 15th December 2025: Legacy of Hope

TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK stars Sydney Mikayla (Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts) as Robby Malto, Zion Broadnax (Day Shift) as Mo Malto, Benni Latham (Cornerstones: Founding Voices of the Black Church) as Dot Malto, Jon Jon Briones (Ratched) as Alex Malto, Kathreen Khavari (Dead End: Paranormal Park) as Twitch, Zeno Robinson (Big City Greens) as Thrash, Danny Pudi (Community) as Bumblebee, Alan Tudyk (Resident Alien) as Optimus Prime, Rory McCann (Game of Thrones) as Megatron, Cissy Jones (The Owl House) as Elita-1, Diedrich Bader (Better Things) as Mandroid, Cyrus Arnold (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) as Jawbreaker, Z Infante (Dead End: Paranormal Park) as Nightshade and Stephanie Lemelin (Dawn of the Croods) as Hashtag.

TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK is created and co-executive produced by Dale Malinowski (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and executive produced by Ant Ward (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). The series is developed for television by Claudia Spinelli, Senior Vice President, TV Animation for Nickelodeon. Production is overseen for Hasbro Entertainment by Kari Rosenberg and by Leslie Wishnevski for Nickelodeon.

Source: NickAlive!

Disney Junior Relaunching In The UK By November 13th

Remember when Disney shut down all its UK children’s channels back in 2020, telling us Disney+ would be the “exclusive home” for everything? Well, plot twist – Disney Jr is coming back to Sky next week.

The preschool channel launches on Thursday, November 13, joining the Sky Kids pack alongside Nick Jr., Cartoon Network, and Sky’s own ad-free kids channel.

It’s a move that would have seemed utterly bizarre five years ago, when Disney was adamant that streaming was the future and linear TV was dead.

Clearly, things have changed.

How We Got Here

Disney Jr has had quite the journey in British television. It started life way back in 1997 as “Disney Channel Underfives” – a programming block for preschoolers on the main Disney Channel.

By 1999, it became Playhouse Disney, and a year later in September 2000, it launched as its own standalone channel on Sky Digital.

If you’re of a certain age, you might remember the live presenters – Dave Benson Phillips and Alex Lovell, known as Big Dave and Little Alex – hosting shows from “the Playhouse”, a colourful set that looked like something out of a Fisher-Price catalogue.

In 2006, Playhouse Disney moved from being a premium add-on to basic Sky packages, and viewing figures shot up. Families clearly loved it.

The channel was rebranded as Disney Jr in May 2011 as part of a worldwide rebrand, and it kept going strong – adding HD in 2013 and even going 24/7 in 2017.

Then Everything Changed

In June 2020, Disney dropped the bombshell. All three of its UK children’s channels – Disney Channel, Disney XD, and Disney Jr – would shut down on 1st October 2020.

The official line was that Disney and Sky couldn’t agree on a new carriage deal. But really, Disney was going all-in on Disney+, which had launched in the UK just six months earlier.

The Disney Channel on Disney Plus

“From October 1st, Disney+ will become the exclusive home for content from Disney Channel, DisneyXD and Disney Jr in the UK,” Disney announced.

And that was that. On September 30, 2020, Disney Jr’s final programme was Gigantosaurus.

After a few promos and a Vampirina music video, the channel cut to a still image of Mickey Mouse, Animal from Muppet Babies, and Vampirina, before vanishing from channel 605 and 606 on Sky.

Virgin Media had already pulled the plug a day earlier. CBBC and CBeebies moved into Disney’s old channel slots, and it genuinely felt like the end of an era.

We all thought that was it – Disney was done with traditional TV in the UK.

What Changed?

Fast forward to 2025 – and it seems Disney’s “streaming-only” strategy hasn’t quite worked out as planned.

Disney+ has seen its growth slow down. Prices have more than doubled since launch – from £5.99 to £14.99 for the premium tier. And the streaming wars have become a bloodbath, with every company scrambling for subscribers.

Earlier this year, Disney did something that would have been unthinkable in 2020 – they struck a deal with ITVX to put premium Disney+ shows like The Bear and Andor on ITV’s free streaming service.

ITVX Disney library

That was the first sign that Disney was willing to play ball with other platforms again.

Now, with Disney Jr returning to Sky, it’s clear Disney has realised that keeping everything locked behind a subscription paywall might not be the smartest move.

Traditional TV still has value – especially for parents of young kids, who often prefer the simplicity of just turning on a channel rather than navigating through yet another streaming app.

And – it gives viewers a taste of what they can find on Disney+.

The Kids TV Apocalypse

The timing of Disney Jr’s return is fascinating, because UK children’s television is currently in crisis.

Just yesterday, we reported that the Pop family of channels – Pop, Tiny Pop, and the rest – are shutting down on Sky and Virgin Media this December. Pop on Freeview is becoming streaming-only.

POP Player

Why? According to Pop’s owner, “commercial value across the UK kids’ TV market is now just 4% of what it was ten years ago.”

CITV shut down in September 2023. With Pop now leaving traditional platforms, the BBC’s CBBC and CBeebies were set to become the only free-to-air linear children’s channels left in the UK.

So Disney Jr coming back to Sky – while everyone else is running away from kids’ TV – is somewhat surprising.

But then again, Disney isn’t relying on advertising revenue like Pop was. Disney Jr will be part of the paid Sky Kids pack, and it’s effectively a shop window for Disney+ subscriptions.

What You Need To Know

Disney Jr HD launches on Sky Satellite, Sky Glass and Sky Stream on November 13. Sky hasn’t confirmed the channel number yet.

The channel will be part of the Sky Kids pack, which now includes 10 live channels – including the ad-free Sky Kids channel, Nick Jr., Cartoon Network, and now Disney Jr, plus on-demand content.

You’ll be able to watch Disney Jr via the TV guide or on demand on all Sky devices, as well as the Sky Go app.

And before you ask – yes, Disney Jr content will still be on Disney+ as well. This isn’t replacing the streaming option, it’s just giving families another way to watch.

We’ve reached out to Virgin Media to ask whether Disney Jr will also return to their Kids pack, but we haven’t heard back yet. We’ll update this article when they respond.

So What’s Next?

Does this mean Disney Channel and Disney XD could come back too? Who knows. For now, Disney seems to be testing the waters with Disney Jr – which makes sense, given that preschoolers and their parents are probably the demographic most likely to appreciate traditional linear TV.

Originally posted by Cordbusters