# Disney Channel (Latin America)

Disney Channel is a Latin American pay television network broadcasting throughout Hispanic America. It was officially version of the eponymous television channel in the United States launched on July 27, 2000 as a premium-label channel, and became a basic pay TV network in 2004.
It is available using four different feeds, each with various programming schedules and timings. It is mostly marketed to children; however, in recent years the range of viewers has expanded to include an older audience. Disney Channel is operated by Disney Media Networks Latin America and owned by The Walt Disney Company Latin America, both of which are originally from The Walt Disney Company.

## History

In July 2000, while Disney Channel in the United States changed its premium television label to basic subscription TV network, the channel was launched in Latin America using the same graphical branding as Disney Channel in Europe, created by GÉDÉON, but with most of the same programming as the US version (some differences were abound). In the beginning, the network's broadcast was divided in two feeds: North feed, aimed towards Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, and South feed, aimed towards South America (excluding Brazil), each with different programming schedules. Disney Channel also launched its first original production, Zapping Zone, with hosts bringing news and introducing the Disney Channel Original Series to the audience.
In 2004, Anne Sweeney, a veteran cable executive, took control of Disney–ABC Television Group and changed the design from the channels worldwide. On that same year, Disney Channel became a basic cable channel and used the 2002 look of Disney Channel U.S. Along with the new look the channel started to air new series, mainly focused on teenagers and placing the original animated cartoons in earlier schedules. In the morning schedule, Playhouse Disney was aired with programming for children aged 2–7.
In 2005, the network became one of the most viewed channels in the region, premiering Disney Channel Original Series such as That's So Raven and Phil of the Future.
A fourth feed, known as the Central feed, was created and was broadcast on Colombia, Venezuela, Central America and the Caribbean, broadcasting from Colombia and using the Colombian time zone.
In 2006, very successful series and films such as Hannah Montana, The Cheetah Girls, High School Musical and Jump In! premiered.
On July 1, 2007, the channel rebranded its graphical package to a more "hip" look, using the "Ribbon" branding of the US Disney Channel.
On June 1, 2008, The Walt Disney Company Latin America launched Playhouse Disney (currently Disney Junior, a preschool-oriented channel focused solely on programming for young children aged 2 to 7.
The Disney Junior-branded block in the morning was still broadcast in the same schedule until 2012. In 2008, Disney Mobile was re-branded as Disney Mobile Studios, which created content for cellphones.
On November 1, 2009, Disney Channel launched its fifth feed, the Pacific feed, aimed at Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia and employed the Chilean time zone. In that same date, the network renewed schedules, idents and promos in all of its feeds. On August 20, 2010, a new logo was introduced. On December 2, 2012, Disney Channel Latin America launched its own HD channel, simulcasting the Central feed.
On July 28, 2014, Disney Channel rebranded its graphical package with the new look unveiled in Germany on January 17, 2014, and in the US on May 23, 2014.
In 2016, Disney Channel HD turns into an independent channel with its own schedules, with promos now using three time zones (Mexico, Colombia and Argentina times). However, in 2019, all feeds launch their HD simulcasts, with the original HD channel turning into a high-definition simulcast of the Central feed again.
On May 1, 2021, the South +1 signal ceases its transmissions at 6:00 am, and is replaced by the original South signal in Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador without delay. Argentina continues to be the head of the South signal and the programming continues to be broadcast based on its time zone, but the times shown on the screen correspond to those of Argentina and Chile.
On April 1, 2022, its sister channel Disney XD was shut down in the region; as well as Disney Jr. in Brazil, due to the company's restructuring policy.
On December 2, 2024, The Walt Disney Company announced that Disney Channel would end in Brazil along with its sister channels (except for its ESPN channels) on February 28, 2025. In Hispanic America, the channel will continue to operate like Disney Jr. since its closure of operations in Brazil in 2022, because in Hispanic America the channel it is one of the most popular on pay TV (for example, in Mexico it is the leader in audience), that added to the facts that Hispanic America has a high penetration of pay TV and the Hispanic American market being less reliant on cord-cutting than Brazil.

## Feeds

Disney Channel has three different feeds for each region, which are called North, Center and South; these are broadcast in high definition natively simultaneously with the standard resolution signal. Until July 2014, the North, Center and HD feeds received the locution of the Mexican voice actors Noé Velásquez and Pedro de la Llata (until 2014), with a neutral accent, while the South feed received the narration of the Argentine Leandro Dugatkin with a River Plate accent. After the rebrand package that occurred on July 28, 2014, all the feeds receive the locution of Noé Velázquez and Lion Ollivier. After the premiere of new graphics on October 30, 2020, all the feeds receive the locution of Emilio Treviño.
List of feeds :
| Feed Name | Country/Territory | Headquarters | Language(s) | Time Zone(s) |
| Mexico | Mexico | Mexico City | Spanish English (via SAP) | Mexico - CT (UTC−06:00) |
| Pan-Regional | Argentina Bolivia Caribbean Central America Chile Colombia Dominican Republic Ecuador Paraguay Peru Uruguay Venezuela | Buenos Aires Bogotá | Spanish English (via SAP) | Argentina - ART (UTC−03:00) Colombia - COT (UTC−05:00) |