Disney Channel (United Kingdom and Ireland)

History

The first attempt to launch a Disney Channel outside the United States was in 1984, with British cable companies backing a plan to bring it to the UK within two to three years. That idea was revived in 1989, this time with support from Sky Television. The channel was meant to include promotions for Sky and the Astra satellite, but the joint venture between Disney and Sky fell apart. Disagreements over who would make decisions led Sky to sue Disney for £1.5 billion.

Disney claimed it wanted more control and was not willing to fund its share. The lawsuit was eventually settled, and Disney sold its stake to Sky, which then got access to the Walt Disney Pictures film library for five years. In December 1994, after its deal with Sky ended, Disney announced it would launch The Disney Channel in the UK on its own, starting in autumn 1995 as a subscription service through British Sky Broadcasting. Sky movie package subscribers could get it for free, and it was also available as a standalone option.

Meanwhile, in January 1994, Disney had announced a joint venture with CLT Multi Media to launch Super RTL in Germany, which began in April 1995. On 25 August 1995, it was confirmed that The Disney Channel would launch in the UK and Ireland on 1 October 1995. It aired daily from 6 am to 10 pm on channel 26, sharing space with Sky Movies Gold on the Astra 1B satellite. The channel was subscription-only and had no adverts.

Its lineup included dramas, comedies, cartoons, documentaries, and films from Disney’s archives, such as the UK television premiere of The Jungle Book. Mellors Reay & Partners handled the launch advertising, with media services from BBJ Media Services Ltd. The channel’s studios and broadcast facilities were first at Teddington Studios, then moved to Stephen Street in late 1996, where Thames Television’s original headquarters had been. Pearson plc managed playout and transmission.

Programming

The Disney Channel in the UK and Ireland mixed American syndicated shows with homegrown series like The Lodge, Stick with Me, Kid, and Sadie Sparks. Local productions also included Life Bites, As the Bell Rings, Hannah-Oke, Get the Look, First Class Chefs, Access All Areas, and Royal Ranch. In March 2014, the network announced Evermoor, a UK-filmed multi-part movie that later became The Evermoor Chronicles, marking the first British long-form series to air on the US Disney Channel. On 18 March 2019, it premiered 101 Dalmatian Street, an animated series produced locally and based on the 101 Dalmatians franchise.