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Disney will launch Disney Junior, a 24-hour basic cable and satellite TV channel targeting children aged two to seven, on March 23, writes Tim Molloy.
The move comes as Disney’s channels try to close ground on lead kids network Nickelodeon, which slid in the ratings last quarter. The announcement came at the Television Critics Association winter press tour where Disney also announced plans for an all-Marvel block on Disney XD.
The Disney Channel’s Disney Junior daily programming block, which began in February 2010, will continue. Its ratings are up 26 per cent year-over-year in kids ages two to five-years-old and 36 per cent among boys in that age group.
Disney Junior will air through cable and satellite providers. Ultimate Spider-Man will anchor the new Marvel block, which will debut on April 1. The block will also feature the series return of The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
The Spider-Man creative team includes Marvel Entertainment chief creative officer Joe Quesada, Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series, Lost) and Man of Action Studios. The series will feature a teenage Peter Parker joining Nick Fury’s S.H.I.E.L.D. and fighting alongside fellow heroes, including Luke Cage and Iron Fist.
