Jetix Europe

The logo of Jetix Europe.

**Jetix Europe** N.V. (JE), formerly **Fox Kids Europe** (FKE), was a television broadcasting subsidiary of Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group's The Walt Disney Company via Disney Channels Worldwide, established in Hilversum, Netherlands in November 1999 as Fox Kids Europe and operating only over 26 children's oriented channels across Europe, Eurasia, Africa and Latin America.

## History

The first Fox Kids channel in the UK was launched in October 1996, and the Fox Kids Europe (FKE) was incorporated in Hilversum, Netherlands in November 1999 with 75.7% being held by Fox Family Worldwide (FFW) with the balance of ownership listed on Euronext. In early 2000, Fox Kids Europe acquired Fox Kids Latin America from the now-defunct Fox Channels Latinoamérica S.A. de C.V.. FFW was folded into the newly-formed ABC Family Worldwide, owned by The Walt Disney Company, a family-oriented entertainment business segment of Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group. K2 started out as a syndicated block for several local stations in Italy.

In December 2002, FKE signed with BMG Europe for two Fox Kids Hits music compilation albums per year for 10 European markets.

In July 2003, Fox Kids Europe relaunched Fox Kids Play interactive channel on Telewest.

In January 2004, Fox Kids Europe and Disney Channels Worldwide announced a joint venture that Fox Kids Europe would become **Jetix**, which helped strengthen its then operations into a single force. The Jetix name was applied to its television channels in Europe, Eurasia, Africa and Latin America, and its programme library and merchandising.

The Jetix name was chosen by both Fox Kids Europe and Disney after the company conducted international research specifically with a number of children focus groups. Many of the children picked the name as it implied action and adventure, and the company was able to use the name internationally due to its ambiguity. Bruce Steinberg, chairman and chief executive officer of Fox Kids Europe, said that Jetix would help strengthen Fox Kids Europe's partnership with Disney while building new alliances to continue to successfully leverage its programming library and distribution.

During the Jetix rebranding, Fox Kids channels across Europe and Latin America started to introduce Jetix branded blocks. The UK feed added a Jetix-branded block in April., while the Latin American version launched a Jetix-branded block in May, with African Fox Kids channel launching a Jetix-branded block in June. Fox Kids blocks across the worlds started to change over in April and the first two channels in both France and Latin America was changed over in August 2004. Fox Kids Europe N.V. changed its legal name to Jetix Europe N.V. on 14 July 2004. The Latin American feed ceased operations for Latin American promos, bumpers and graphics on December 31, 2004, and replaced it with European Latin America-inspired promos, bumpers and graphics on January 1, 2005.

SIP Animation co-produced a few animated series with Disney via Jetix Europe during the 2000s. Disney launched GXT as a Jetix-branded male teen channel in May 2005 on Sky Italia in Italy. Jetix Europe teamed up with Japanese entertainment company YaMahaya Media for television programming content. After Jetix Europe picked up *Iron Kid* for its France and Spain channels, Jetix Latin America picked it up in January 2007 from BRB International.

In 2008, Jetix Europe folded Jetix France into The Walt Disney Company France and Disney-ABC-ESPN Television became its channel distribution partner. In February 2008, Jetix Europe was in talks to join affiliated companies, Disney Channel Europe, ESPN Europe and Disney–ABC International Television (DAIT), in their combined distribution sales unit. In June, Jetix Europe agreed to have DAIT take over distribution sales for all channels across Europe, Eurasia, Africa and Latin America. In November, the Central and Eastern European channel team won gold in the UK Promax Awards for Jetix Max idents.

On December 8, 2008, Disney made an agreement to increase ownership in Jetix Europe to 96%, with intentions to purchase the remainder and have Jetix Europe delisted from the Euronext Amsterdam exchange. In 2009, K2 became a TV channel. With full Disney control over Jetix Europe, Disney indicated in February 2009 that every single Jetix channel would be switched over to the newly-launched Disney XD starting with the Jetix France channel with Disney XD on April 1, 2009. Jetix Italy management agreed to purchase the Jetix Italy company, renamed as Switchover Media, GXT and K2 from Jetix Europe in July 2009 while managing the Jetix Italy channel unit it re-brands as Disney XD in the fall. The final Jetix channel to switch over to Disney XD was the Russian version on August 10, 2010.

Jetix Europe was folded into The Walt Disney Company on May 26, 2014, with the www.JetixTV.com being remained until today.

## Channels

### Italy

* Jetix Italy
* K2
* GXT

### Poland

* Jetix Poland
* Polsat
* TV4

## Gallery

The 2D version of Jetix Europe, used since January 1, 2005.The Jetix Europe logo used from July 14, 2004 until its dissolvation on May 26, 2014.The Fox Kids Europe logo, used from November 1999 until July 14, 2004.
## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 2008. *Annual Reports*. Jetix Europe NV. Retrieved on March 15, 2013.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 TV Channel: K2 (Italy). *MAVISE*. European Audiovisual Observatory. Retrieved on March 15, 2013.
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6. ↑ Derrick, Stuart (March 22, 2004). Licensing: Fox Kids readies a European shake-up. *Marketing Magazine*. Retrieved on April 6, 2016.
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9. ↑ campaignlive.co.uk. (20 August 2004) Fox Kids Europe becomes Jetix to appeal to boys. Brand Republic.
10. ↑ Fox Kids Europe N.V. changes name to Jetix Europe N.V.. Jetix Europe (2004-07-14).
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14. ↑ Disney's Jetix launches 'Action Vacation' with WWE superstars (May 2, 2007). Retrieved on September 4, 2017.
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20. ↑ French Jetix becomes Disney XD. Broadband TV News (February 16, 2009).
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## See also

* Jetix
* SIP Animation