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Disney XD (Canada)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about a defunct Canadian television channel that was operated by Corus Entertainment and launched on December 1, 2015. For the Canadian television channel that was previously known as Disney XD, see WildBrainTV.

Disney XD
Logo used for the Corus Entertainment-owned channel
CountryCanada
Broadcast areaNationwide
HeadquartersToronto, Ontario
Programming
LanguageEnglish
Picture format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
OwnerCorus Entertainment
(branding licensed from Disney Branded Television)
Sister channels
History
LaunchedDecember 1, 2015; 10 years ago (2015-12-01)
ClosedSeptember 1, 2025; 9 months ago (2025-09-01)
Replaced byDisney Channel (programming)
Links
Websitedisneyxd.ca (archived August 2025)

Disney XD was a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment which launched on December 1, 2015. It was a localized version of the American network of the same name, operated under license from Disney Branded Television, a division of The Walt Disney Company which aired live-action and animated programming aimed at children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 15.[1]

History

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Original run (2011–2015)

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The original Disney XD logo

A Canadian version of Disney XD was originally launched by Astral Media on June 1, 2011, as a spin-off of Family Channel, which had historically held rights to the programming of Disney Channel and its spin-off brands.[2][3] After Bell Media acquired Astral in 2013, the company sold Disney XD along with its sister channels (Family Channel and the French and English versions of Disney Junior) to DHX Media. On April 16, 2015, Corus Entertainment announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire the Canadian rights to Disney Channel programming and brands.[3]

Disney XD programming initially aired in a programming block on the Canadian version of Disney Channel, which Corus launched on September 1, 2015.[3][4] The Disney XD-branded channel owned by DHX was renamed Family Chrgd on October 9, 2015, then again to WildBrainTV on March 1, 2022. It closed on October 22, 2025.[5]

Relaunch and second closure (2015–2025)

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The new Corus-owned Disney XD channel launched on December 1, 2015, as an exempt discretionary service.[6][7] On September 1, 2017, the channel obtained a discretionary service licence from the CRTC.[8] Through Corus Entertainment's acquisition of Shaw Media, Disney XD and its sister networks became co-owned with the former Shaw Media channels on April 1, 2016.[9]

On December 1, 2022, Disney XD was added to StackTV, along with Disney Channel and Disney Junior.

On July 10, 2025, Corus Entertainment announced that they would close Disney XD alongside three other Disney-licensed channels (La Chaîne Disney, Disney Jr. and ABC Spark), as well as the unrelated Nickelodeon, at midnight permanently on September 1, 2025, due to financial pressure at the company, leaving the Polish version as the only remaining Disney XD-branded channel outside of the United States.[10] Despite the closure, Corus announced that it would continue to air the channel's content on Disney Channel. On August 12, 2025, the channel's website begin notifying viewers about the closure.[11] On August 28, 2025, the website was redirected to the Disney Channel site. The last program to air on the channel ahead of its midnight closure was the Milo Murphy's Law episode "Picture Day / Agee Ientee Diogee", after which the channel switched to a slate stating "This channel is no longer available".[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "FAQ | Disney XD Channel". Archived from the original on May 21, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  2. ^ "DHX Media to buy Family, other children's channels". Toronto Star. November 28, 2013. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c David Friend (April 16, 2015). "Corus gains Canadian rights to Disney Channel content". The Globe and Mail. Canadian Press. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  4. ^ "It's #HereForReal Canada! Corus Entertainment Launches Disney Channel in 10 Million Households" (Press release). Toronto: Corus Entertainment. September 1, 2015. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  5. ^ "DHX MEDIA TO EXTEND FAMILY CHANNEL BRAND, FEATURE NEW AND ORIGINAL CONTENT". DHX Media. Archived from the original on April 27, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  6. ^ "Disney XD Returns to Canada December 1". Channel Canada. November 9, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  7. ^ "Disney XD & Disney Junior to Roll Out in Canada Next Month". WorldScreen. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  8. ^ "Corus Entertainment Inc. – Licence renewals for English-language television stations and services". Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). May 15, 2017.
  9. ^ "Corus Entertainment Completes Acquisition of Shaw Media". Corus Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  10. ^ "Corus to pull plug on some kids channels amid financial pressure". Cartt.ca. July 10, 2025.
  11. ^ "Home | Disney XD". www.disneyxd.ca. Archived from the original on August 24, 2025. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  12. ^ "TV Schedule for Disney XD Canada". TV Passport. Archived from the original on August 19, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
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