Disney India has produced local adaptations of international live action series. The first local adaptation, Best of Luck Nikki premiered on 3 April 2011. The Disney Channel Original Movie, Phineas and Ferb Across the 2nd Dimension premiered on the channel on 25 September 2011.[6]
In June 2014, Disney Channel India launched their first local animated series, Arjun Prince of Bali.[9]
The channel rebranded on 17 December 2014 with the new logo used internationally, with the exception of the logo colour being purple instead of blue, and had a strategy of showing family-oriented shows during the weekend. The weekend strategy was called "Shanivaar, Ravivaar only for Parivaar".[10] The family shows started airing on 31 January 2015. In early 2016 the channel stopped producing local live action shows, and decided to focus on Japanese anime and local animation instead as animated/anime shows drive better ratings.[11]
On 1 May 2018, the channel's logo color was changed to blue, as used internationally. On the same month the channel launched Simple Samosa and Big Hero 6 The Series.[12] On 1 October 2018, the DuckTales reboot premiered in India.[13]
In summer 2020, Disney Channel launched new shows such as Mira, Royal Detective, Bapu and Guddu, along with new episodes of shows like Chacha Chaudhary, Doraemon, and Selfie with Bajrangi.[15] The channel launched a DIY show called Imagine That on 6 September 2020.[16]
On 18 April 2021, the second season of Imagine That and 101 Dalmatian Street were aired.[17][18]
Broadcast
The channel broadcasts in India and several neighboring countries. It was formerly broadcast in Bangladesh, Pakistan[19] and Bhutan, but was removed for the following reasons:
The Government of Bangladesh banned the Indian feeds of Disney Channel and Disney XD from broadcasting in February 2013, citing non-availability of localized dubs for content, including the anime Doraemon, which was being broadcast only in Hindi. Pogo was banned for the same reason; three other channels were also banned for broadcasting without authorization.[20] Later, the Asian feed of Disney Channel was made available on specific Bangladeshi cable providers.
Concerns about localization were raised in Pakistan as well, regarding the broadcast of Hindi-only dubs of Doraemon.[21] In 2016, after increasing tensions between the countries, all Indian television channels were banned from broadcast by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority.[22] The ban was reiterated after appeals in 2018.[23]
In Bhutan, the channel was similarly removed due in 2017 to most of its programming being aired in Hindi rather than in English. This was part of a uniformity plan.[24]
Sister television channels
Disney Channel HD
Logo of Disney channel HD
On 15 March 2023, Disney Channel HD was launched. It was originally planned by 1 March 2020[25] and 11 December 2021,[26] but it was postponed.[27]
The Playhouse Disney brand expanded to India in 2006 as a block on Disney Channel. On 4 July 2011, it was replaced by Disney Junior, which eventually became available as a 24-hour channel.[28][29]
Hungama TV was launched on 26 September 2004. The channel was originally owned by UTV Software Communications, but The Walt Disney Company India purchased it in 2006. The programming lineup mainly consists of Japanese and Indian animated shows.
Originally launched as Toon Disney on 17 December 2004, then on 14 November 2009, the channel rebranded as Disney XD. On 6 January 2019, the channel rebranded as Marvel HQ. then on 1 March 2022 the channel rebranded as Super Hungama.[31] The channel was launched with 4 new shows, including 3 Disney shows. These are Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Big City Greens, Milo Murphy's Law and The Daltons. Apart from that, the channel's content and schedule remains the same as Marvel HQ.
Unlike most Disney Channel networks around the world, the channel airs very little content from the North American networks. Disney Channel India mostly focuses on local and some Japanese content as they are more popular with Indian audiences. Due to popularity of Doraemon, it has been scheduled most of the time on the channel since 2011 despite not being a Disney show to maintain high viewership.[32] Nowadays Selfie with Bajrangi is being aired most of the day along with Doraemon and other local content.[33]
