Disney has been active in the UK & Ireland TV industry for over 20 years, and its broad business spans Disney Channels, Media Distribution, and local productions.
The Disney Channels multiplex continues to be the number one commercial kids multiplex in the market: Disney Junior ranks as the UK’s number one pay TV for kids, Disney Channel ranks number one pay TV channel for girls, and boys-skewed Disney XD is seeing a strong first half of the year, growing total year on year ratings.
Disney Channels’ current local productions include First Class Chefs - a brand new cookery series with Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux Jr, filmed in London, Evermoor - a mystery adventure punctuated with comedy, produced in Warrington.Aim High, filmed at Lee Valley Athletics Centre, London is a mentorship initiative that inspires children around the UK, and lastly Henry Hugglemonster – an animated series following monster Henry’s adventures in the town of Roarsville, produced in Dublin.
Disney’s Media Distribution arm is responsible for the licensing of 50,000 hours of The Walt Disney Company’s entertainment content, distributing movies and TV content across the region from The Walt Disney Studios, Disney•Pixar,Marvel and Lucasfilm; network TV series from ABC Studios; Disney and Marvel-branded kids and family programming; ABC News programming as well as the Annual Academy Awards®. The division is also responsible for making music, publishing, mobile, games and interactive content available to consumers via licensed third party commercial partners. Popular ABC Studios series currently on air in the UK include Scandal, How To Get Away with Murder, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Marvel’s Agent Carter, Grey’s Anatomy and Criminal Minds.
Sky Movies Disney launched in the UK in 2013, and marked the first time Disney had been involved in a co-branded linear movie channel anywhere in the world. The channel is the UK home of new Disney and DisneyPixar movies.
Other local productions from the Company include ABC Studios’ Galavant, a musical comedy fairytale filmed in Bristol and around the West of England. The series is produced by Dan Fogelman (Tangled, Crazy Stupid Love), composer Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast) and lyricist Glenn Slater (The Little Mermaid).