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American pay television channel From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Disney XD is an American pay television channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Entertainment units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children (mainly boys) ages six to eleven years old.[2]
Logo used since June 2015 | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Headquarters | Burbank, California, U.S. |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English Spanish (via SAP audio track, a Spanish language simulcast of the channel is also available) |
| Picture format | HDTV 720p (downscaled to center cut 480i for the SD feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | |
| Sister channels | |
| History | |
| Launched | February 13, 2009 |
| Replaced | |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Watch live |
| Website | DisneyNOW portal |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Affiliated Streaming Service | Disney+ |
| Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV, DirecTV Stream, Vidgo | |
Disney XD's programming consists of original first-run television series, current and former original series and made-for-TV films inherited from sister network Disney Channel, theatrically released films, and acquired programs from other distributors, along with a primetime block of programming involving competitive gaming.[3]
The channel offers an alternate Spanish-language audio feed, either via a separate channel with the English track removed as part of a package of Spanish-language television networks sold by subscription providers or a separate audio track accessible through the SAP option, depending on the provider.[citation needed]
As of November 2023[update], Disney XD is available to approximately 44,000,000 pay television households in the United States, down from its 2013 peak of 82,000,000 households.[4]
Disney XD was launched on February 13, 2009, at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time, with the Phineas and Ferb episode "Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together" being the first show to air on the channel. The channel debuted its first original series, Aaron Stone, at 7:00 p.m. New animated series included in the channel's initial lineup were Kid vs. Kat and Jimmy Two-Shoes.[5]
The network took over the channel space of Toon Disney, an animation-focused channel that debuted on April 18, 1998, which eventually launched a live-action/animation block called Jetix in 2004. Jetix channels outside of the United States were relaunched under the Disney XD banner starting with the France-based service on April 1, 2009.[6] Many of the channel's programs – particularly animated series – previously aired on Toon Disney, mainly as part of the Jetix programming block, which ran on Toon Disney until that channel's shutdown. Disney XD carries the same name as an unrelated mini-site and media player on Disney.com, which stood for Disney Xtreme Digital.[7] According to Gary Marsh, President of Entertainment for Disney Channel Worldwide, "XD" does not even "stand for anything" and was chosen simply because it looked "cool." Marsh notes that "the letter X has many cool associations" and that "the beauty of it is the audience can imbue it with all sorts of positive attributes." "XD" is also an emoticon for laughter.
The channel's first original television movie, Skyrunners, premiered on November 27, 2009.[8] On April 1, 2012, Disney XD launched a block called "Marvel Universe", as a result of Disney's 2009 acquisition of Marvel Entertainment.[9] By June 2014, Disney XD agreed to a multi-picture development deal with Two 4 the Money and MarVista Entertainment with MarVista having global rights.[10]
On November 17, 2016, it was announced that the Pokémon anime series would be moving to Disney XD from its previous broadcaster, Cartoon Network. The twentieth season, Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, was the first season to air and was first broadcast as a sneak peek on December 5, 2016. Pokémon began its regular broadcast on May 12, 2017.[11]
On August 12, 2017, Disney XD premiered a reboot of DuckTales.[12] In 2018, through a series of promos and news announcements, Disney announced that four of Disney XD's original series (those being Star vs. the Forces of Evil, Milo Murphy's Law, DuckTales, and Big Hero 6: The Series) would be moving their premieres over to Disney Channel, while Disney XD would continue to air re-runs.[13][14] In 2020, DuckTales and Big Hero 6: The Series were both moved back to Disney XD for their final seasons, which both ended in 2021.
Disney XD's schedule consists largely of animated and live-action programs aimed at pre-teens and young teenagers. Disney XD content is a mixture of former original series as well as programs inherited from sister network Disney Channel. In addition to full-length live-action and animated original series, the channel also debuts short series similar to those seen on Disney Channel during commercial breaks (such as Two More Eggs), which serve as filler for programs scheduled to end during the half-hour and last usually around one to three minutes.
In addition, Disney XD airs original made-for-TV movies from Disney Channel and theatrically released feature films.
Unlike Disney Channel (and similarly, fellow sister network Disney Junior)—whose advertising comes in the form of program promotions, underwriter sponsorships, and interstitials for Disney films, home video, and game releases produced by the channel[15]—Disney XD operates as an advertiser-supported service running traditional television commercials in addition to promotions for the channel's shows.
Sister network ESPN has produced sports-oriented content for Disney XD; for a period, the channel produced an interstitial program known as the SportsCenter High-5, which featured a countdown of sports highlights. As part of a deal with ESPN, Disney XD carried coverage of the 2018 Overwatch League as part of its D|XP block.[16]
In 2019, Disney XD began to air the NFL's Pro Bowl, in a simulcast alongside ESPN and ABC.[17]
In March 2023, the channel participated in another sports broadcast as part of ESPN's NHL coverage, with Disney Channel and Disney XD airing a 3D animated, Big City Greens-themed presentation of a game.[18][19]
| Service | Description |
|---|---|
| Disney XD HD | Disney XD HD is a high definition simulcast of the Disney XD channel that broadcasts in the 720p resolution; the HD feed launched with the standard definition feed of the channel on February 13, 2009. Disney XD's original programming is produced and broadcast in HD, along with feature films, Disney Channel original movies made after 2005 and select episodes, films and series produced before 2009. The HD feed is carried through most providers, excluding Dish. |
| Disney XD On Demand | Disney XD On Demand is the channel's video-on-demand service, offering select episodes of Disney XD's original series and certain acquired programs to pay television providers. |
| DisneyNOW | On September 28, 2017, the Disney Channel app was relaunched as DisneyNOW, which combines the apps of Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD and Radio Disney into one universal app featuring access to all four services. The Disney XD app was discontinued on February 15, 2018.[29] |
| Former services | |
| Disney XD App | Formerly known as "WATCH Disney XD" until a June 2016 rebranding, the mobile app and digital media player apps for Disney XD offer live and on-demand streaming of Disney XD content online. These apps require users to authenticate with a login from a participating television service provider for access to live video or the newest episodes of a series, though a limited selection of free episodes also are available without a login. The app closed on February 15, 2018. |
Disney XD, similarly born of a merger between Jetix and Toon Disney,[30][31][32] was formerly available around the world. Most of the international Disney XD networks have been closed down from 2019, due to the launch of Disney+.
On January 6, 2019, Disney XD closed down in Australia and New Zealand with programs moving to Disney Channel for that network's last year before its content was subsumed into Disney+. In India, the channel was rebranded as Marvel HQ on January 9, 2019 which was later rebranded as Super Hungama on March 1, 2022. On October 1, 2019, Disney XD closed in Italy following the non-renewal of its Sky carriage agreement.[33]
The Spanish and German versions were closed on April 1, 2020, followed by France's network a week later. XD in Singapore ceased on June 1, 2020,[34] then the UK & Ireland and continental Africa domestic feeds on October 1, 2020.[35][36] Together with the Southeast Asian, Scandinavian, and Middle Eastern, feeds closing on December 31, 2020. The Japanese and Turkish channels also closed on January 31, 2021.[37]
The latest closure was in Latin America on March 31, 2022.[38] Since then Disney XD only has three sister networks outside of America; Canada and Poland as full-time networks.
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