Family Channel boosts online offering with Disney content deal and re-designed broadband player
Toronto – Astral Media’s Family Channel is enriching its online offering and presence by extending its long-standing relationship with Disney-ABC-ESPN Television to provide users with hit Disney Channel programming on Family’s website, Family.ca. With this deal, Family Channel will feature a selection of top-rated Disney Channel Original Series such as Hannah Montana, The Suite Life On Deck and Wizards of Waverly Place, and internationally popular Disney Channel Original Movies on Family.ca.
This new content complements online offerings from Family’s existing lineup, including Canadian original series, and will be presented on a re-designed broadband player that will provide enhanced functionality for users and new opportunities for promotional partners targeting Family’s coveted demographic of 8-14 year olds.
“The extension of our deal with Disney is a significant achievement for our business as it will enable Family to offer the Disney programming experience to our audience on all relevant platforms – linear, on demand and now online,” said Joe Tedesco, Vice President and General Manager, Family Channel and Playhouse Disney. “The combination of the new online lineup and the re-designed broadband player will make Family.ca a must-visit for kids eager for online content.”
Disney programming will launch online in conjunction with the re-designed broadband player on January 30, 2009, with episodes from top-rated series Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, The Suite Life on Deck and Phineas and Ferb. Family.ca will refresh the broadband player weekly from the robust lineup of hit Disney programming airing on Family Channel including Disney Channel Original Movies. Past examples of these major television events include ratings smash hits High School Musical 2 and Camp Rock. For promotional partners, Family’s new broadband player offers a new
permanent billboard space and video pre-roll. Additional advertising opportunities on Family.ca include section sponsorships, branded online contests, game hosting and creation, surveys, product reviews and banner ads.
With nearly a million unique visitors a month, Family.ca is one of the most popular kids’ sites in Canada. Providing frequently updated, high-quality content, Family.ca is an online destination for kids and families. In addition to its games pages, Family.ca features contests, full-episode streams, video podcasts and program mini-sites, including the Gemini Award(R) winning mini-site for the Canadian original series Life With Derek.
