Toon Disney revamp to create 'boy' channel

By Staff -- Playthings, 8/7/2008 9:31:00 AM

BURBANK, Calif.—Disney will re-brand its Toon Disney television and online platforms in the U.S. as Disney XD, and will target their content specifically towards tween boys.

Toon Disney’s transition to Disney XD will begin in February 2009 on television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming—a mix of animated and live-action—will span series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. The 24-hour, advertiser-supported channel currently reaches nearly 70 million households via basic cable affiliates.

"Disney Channel is a huge business serving kids all around the world, and it's especially successful with girls, and our goal with Disney XD is to have that same success ratio with boys,” said Rich Ross, president of Disney Channels Worldwide. “Disney XD will showcase great stories and empowering characters with Disney's brand credibility and a cool creative factor that will set it apart from the pack."

Disney XD programming will reflect the Boys 9-14 demographic’s “fundamental values of accomplishment, learning, discovery and growth,” and will be differentiated by Disney-branded live-action movies, new and library animated programming, and original programming developed with ESPN. These initiatives will range from original programming to newly packaged X Games content, according to the company.

The Disney XD launch schedule will include:

• Aaron Stone, an original live-action, single camera adventure series about a teenager who is enlisted to become the real life version of a legendary, crime fighting online game character;

• Mongoose & Luther (working title), an original comedy, filmed in single camera documentary style, about two best friends who set their sights on becoming world famous skateboarders;

• Hero and Not (working title), an animated short-form series;

• RoboDz, a comedic 3-D, CG-animated and live-action short form series;

• Disney's current animated series Phineas and Ferb;

• and four comic-book based animated series: Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Spider-Man and Iron Man.