Back when Robert Iger took over the reins of the Walt Disney Company from Michael Eisner the word on the street was that Iger was no technophobe. Even more, he was an avid practitioner of technology. Never far from his blackberry, used an iPod, and… Read More »Iger to Cable Companies – Be Careful Charging for Online TV
Disney XD, launched today, February 13, is a revised version of ToonDisney, one of Disney’s family of cable channels. But Disney XD is really a multi-platform brand that will showcase live-action and animated programming for kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor.
Disney XD branded content will span television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD is expected to reach over 72 million households via its basic cable affiliates.
In today’s world, the difference tween digesting media online and on a Television is rapidly shrinking. So it was no surprise that Disney Online has also introduced DisneyXD.com, the online and mobile Web destination for the new Disney entertainment brand designed to appeal to kids and tween boys to tag team with the cable channel. DisneyXD.com will feature an abundance of action-based games, full-length video and customizable community features populate the site focused heavily on themes of adventure, accomplishment, gaming, music and sports.
An animated television series inspired by Robbie Knievel, son of the late Evel Knievel, is being developed by Disney. “Kid Knievel” will debut on Disney XD in fall of 2009. Disney XD is the former Toon Disney cable channel which is being re-branded to be… Read More »Knievel Cartoon Coming to Disney XD
Just a quick follow up on a story from last week. It was reported that ESPN had bid $125 million for rights to broadcast the NCAA Division I College Football Bowl Championship Series on the cable channel. Turns out that was for just one year.… Read More »Disney’s ABC/ESPN is now the home for College Football Bowl Championship Series
Tuesday night we made it over to Downtown Disney’s Marketplace to experience “T-Rex” the latest addition to the food and entertainment options. Lines were long, but moved fast as guests were entered into a virtual queue to wait for their tables. Inside the place was loud, but everything seemed surprisingly well run for the first night open to the public.
SportsBiz Blog notes that the NFL and ESPN are in talks to show some NFL Network programming (mostly the NFL games that the network has exclusive rights to) on the ESPN Classic channel. This performs an end-run around various cable operators who have been balking… Read More »ESPN & The NFL Network in talks
As part of its Disney Travel on Demand cable offerings The Walt Disney Company is adding a new cooking show starring Chef Cat Cora. Cat Cora is most popularly known as the female Iron Chef on the Food Network. She maintains her own website with recipes and a blog and she has her own charity with Chefs for Humanity.
“I’ve always been a huge fan of Disney, so exploring the Parks and
informing families about the culinary gems that exist, in addition to
sharing ideas for spicing up routine family dinners with some healthy
new recipes is a dream come true for me.”
Walt Disney World’s parks and resorts really do host some of the best dining options in the region. I hope that Chef Cat Cora truly explores the dining choices and helps Disney broaden some of the menus that are currently somewhat limited to do the efficiencies of the Disney Dining Plan and tourist sensibilities.
Disney’s What’s Cooking with Cat Cora will be available on Disney Travel on Demand Channel beginning the week of March 9th to viewers with Cablevision and Time Warner Cable as their provider. Hopefully this will soon be available wider or on the internet (remember what you said today Bob Iger.) In the meantime you can catch previews of the show online at the Disney Parks site.
The full press release including additional on-demand content is below the cut:
Read More »Iron Chef Cat Cora coming to Disney Travel on Demand
Blu-ray’s victory in getting Warner Brothers to drop the HD-DVD may not be enough to fend off obsolescence. As Dawn C. Chmielewski reports in the Los Angeles Times, downloads, cable, and satellite delivery of HD movies might make the whole HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray battle moot anyway. But sales of these next-generation discs fell short of… Read More »Is Blu-ray Victory Too Late?