| Disney Junior | |
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| Owner: | The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia) Pte. Ltd. |
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| Headquarters: | 1 Fusionopolis View, #06-01 Sandcrawler Building, Singapore 138577 |
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| Former Names: | Playhouse Disney (2000–2011) |
| Founded: | 2000 (as a programming block on Disney Channel) |
Disney Junior is a former Southeast Asian pay television preschool channel owned by The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia. Aimed mainly at children between ages 2 to 7 years old.[1] [2] its programming consisted of original first-run television series and theatrically released and made-for-DVD movies, as well as other select third-party programming, some of which originally having aired on PBS Kids in the United States.
Launched in 2004 as Playhouse Disney, Disney Junior also lent its name to an early morning program block seen on sister network Disney Channel, branded as Disney Junior on Disney Channel until 31 July 2018. The preschool channel ceased operations at the end of 2021 in favor for Disney+.
The Asian version of Playhouse Disney started in 2000 as a block on Disney Channel, with plans for the standalone channel on the cards since October 2002.[3] It later launched as a channel for Hong Kong and Indonesia on 2 April 2004, with the aim of reaching more territories (in South East Asia and Korea) in due course.[4] [5] From 2004 to 2005, it expanded in several Southeast Asian countries. Singapore became the third country to receive the channel, launching on StarHub TVon 15 May 2004.[6] It was followed by Korea in June 2004, Malaysia in early July 2004,[7] Brunei in late August, in tandem with Disney Channel, on Kristal-Astro,[8] Cambodia in June 2005, in tandem with Disney Channel,[9] Vietnam in December 2005, also in tandem with Disney Channel, on Hanoi Cable and Ho Chi Minh Cable, entirely in English without Vietnamese dubbing, in a market that at the time had an under-14 population of 24 million[10] and the Philippines in the same month, with a separate feed. At the time, it was the first - and only - preschool-oriented television network in Southeast Asia.[11]
On 11 July 2011, Playhouse Disney later rebranded as Disney Junior.[12]
Due to increasing localization of the Indian feeds of Disney Channel and Disney XD, they were banned from broadcasting in Bangladesh in 2013. Later, in 2016, the Southeast Asian feeds of the Disney channels, including Disney Junior Asia, became available on certain cable operators in Bangladesh.
On 1 June 2020, Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior ceased transmission in Singapore on both Singtel and StarHub after failing the contract renewal with both service providers in the country.[13] Select programs from these 3 channels were moved to, replaced by and made it available via Disney+ on 23 February 2021.
On 5 August 2020, Disney Junior upgraded to HD on Astro alongside Disney Channel. On 1 January 2021, the channels ceased operations across Astro and Astro-owned TV providers (including NJOI and Kristal-Astro) in Malaysia due to the launch of Astro's Refreshed Kids Pack that announced back on 14 December 2020. While its shows moved to Disney+ Hotstar in the said country on 1 June 2021.
After 17 years of broadcasting, Disney Junior, along with Disney Channel, and most of its Fox channels in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong ceased on 1 October 2021,[14] [15] at exactly 1:00 am /12:00 am, concluding with Mira, Royal Detective,[16] thus the channel space originally created by Playhouse Disney Channel in 2004 folded and ceased to exist.
Most Disney Junior shows will be shown instead on Disney+ Hotstar and Disney+ on selected territories. Nevertheless, the Disney Junior Taiwan block on Disney Channel will continue to operate after this date. But the block ended on New Year's Eve (31 December 2021).
Throughout the expansion, it was owned and operated by the former Walt Disney Television International.
| Pan-Asian | Indonesia | (Playhouse Disney); (Disney Junior) | Television channel | English, Indonesian, Malay (former), Thai, Vietnamese (voice over), | Disney+ Hotstar | |
| Singapore | (Playhouse Disney); (Disney Junior) | Disney+ | ||||
| Malaysia | (Playhouse Disney); (Disney Junior) | Disney+ Hotstar | ||||
| Brunei | (Playhouse Disney); (Disney Junior) | |||||
| Thailand | (Playhouse Disney); (Disney Junior) | Disney+ Hotstar | ||||
| VIetnam | (Playhouse Disney); (Disney Junior) | |||||
| Cambodia | (Playhouse Disney); (Disney Junior) | |||||
| Philippines | (Playhouse Disney); (Disney Junior) | Disney+ | ||||
| Papua New Guinea | ||||||
| Myanmar | ||||||
| Bangladesh | ||||||
| multiple Asian markets | (Playhouse Disney); (Disney Junior) | Programming block on Disney Channel | multiple | |||
| Hong Kong | (Playhouse Disney); (Disney Junior) | Television channel | Cantonese, English | Disney+ | ||
| Taiwan | (Playhouse Disney); (Disney Junior) | Programming block on Disney Channel (Taiwan) | Taiwanese Mandarin, English | |||
Disney Junior Magazine Philippines (known as Disney Junior Magazine and formerly known as Playhouse Disney Magazine Philippines) was an educational magazine published in the Philippines by Summit Media in collaboration with The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia.