Thursday, January 08, 2009

Disney Rolls Out Its Re-Branded Cartoon Web

Marketwatch explains how the Big Mouse plans to use (and promote) one of its reworked cable network:

Remember the good old days when companies launched a new cable channel or TV show with flashy billboards alongside the interstate? Well, the new place for promoting TV channels, it seems, is the digital highway ...

Disney XD, which replaces Disney's cartoon-centric Toon Disney basic cable channel, intends to build interest by seeding shows on such diverse digital outlets as iTunes, the Xbox360 game player, and cell phones, as well as on various Disney-owned outlets such as its Disney Channel. The channel is aimed primarily at guys, aged 6 to 14, and at its launch is expected to be seen in as many as 72 million of the country's more than 105 million TV households

Of course, it would be nice if Disney created lots of boy cartoons to supplement the girl and toddler stuff on the Channel, but there's going to be a bunch of live action.

Doesn't help the animation community, but the Big Mouse goes with its perceived strengths. And live action sells right now. But everything has its time, you know? Today it's fresh-faced teenagers, tomorrow it will be crime-fighting raccoons.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

because Disney has their finger on the pulse of American youth! yeah!

Anonymous said...

About Disney having "their finger on the pulse of American youth" , see the latest post on Cartoon Brew (the Frank Zappa clip ... the first two minutes discussing terminal "hipness" in the music industry)

Frank Zappa explains why cartoons today Suck

By the way, my teenage boys and I were subjected to a promo ad for Disney XD at the movies last weekend. Both my teens made barfing noises and rolled their eyes in derision at the "rad and hip" Disney XD .

Steve Hulett said...

There's always the sad reality that conglomerates are usually two steps behind real trends.

One ancient example: In the late sixties, Nehru jackets were briefly in vogue.

When television hosts and aging comedians started wearing them, you know the fashion moment was O-ver.

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