TORONTO and MONTREAL – Disney Channel and La chaîne Disney officially arrived in Canada this week.
Corus Entertainment said that the channels are available in most markets now, and will be available in 10 million households by Thursday via distribution partners Bell Aliant, Bell Fibe TV, Bell Satellite TV, CCSA members including Eastlink and Access, Cogeco Cable Canada, MTS, Rogers, Shaw, Shaw Direct, Telus and Videotron. SaskTel customers will have access to the new service in the coming weeks.
Disney Channel is a 24-hour kid-driven, family-inclusive television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series and movies, reads the news release. The WATCH Disney Channel app will launch later this month, offering users access to live, linear streams along with a select offering of on-demand content.
“We’re excited about the enthusiasm for Disney Channel’s debut in Canada,” said Colin Bohm, EVP and head of Corus Kids, in the release. “For the first time, Canadian kids and families can look forward to the full Disney Channel experience with an exceptional lineup of Disney stars, world premieres and day-and-date airings.”
Disney Channel is available in Canada through a license agreement between Corus Entertainment Inc. and Disney/ABC Television Group.
There will be some overlap in programming however as DHX Media (which held the contract for Disney programming when it bought the Family Channel and various Disney digi-nets) retains the rights to some shows to the end of the calendar year.
