Disney Channel is an American-managed Latin American pay television network in Hispanic America. It is a regional counterpart of the American channel of the same name and was launched on July 27, 2000, initially as a premium service. In 2004, it transitioned to a basic cable network.
The channel operates two separate feeds with distinct programming schedules and time zones. Although primarily marketed to children, its target audience has expanded in recent years to include teenagers and young adults. Disney Channel Latin America is operated by Disney Media Networks Latin America, a division of The Walt Disney Company Latin America, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company.
History Disney Channel launched in Latin America on July 27, 2000. When it launched it used the graphical branding also used in Disney Channel's Europe counterpart, created by GÉDÉON, with most of its programming imported from Disney Channel in America with some differences. The network's broadcast was divided in two feeds: North feed, aimed towards Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, and South feed, aimed towards South America (excluding Brazil), each with different programming schedules. Disney Channel also launched its first original production, Zapping Zone, with hosts bringing news and introducing the Disney Channel Original Series to the viewers.
In 2004, Anne Sweeney, a veteran cable executive, became president of Disney–ABC Television Group and rebranded the channels worldwide. Disney Channel became a basic cable channel in Latin America around the same time and started using the branding of Disney Channel US first introduced in 2002. Along with the rebrand, the channel started to air new series, mainly focused on teenagers and placing the original animated cartoons in earlier schedules. In the morning schedule, Playhouse Disney was aired with programming for children aged 2–7.
In 2005, the network became one of the most watched channels in the region, and started airing Disney Channel Original Series such as That's So Raven and Phil of the Future.
A fourth feed, known as the Central feed, was created and was broadcast in Colombia, Venezuela, Central America and the Caribbean, broadcasting from Colombia and using the Colombian time zone.
In 2006 and 2007, numerous Disney Channel series and film such as Hannah Montana, The Cheetah Girls, High School Musical and Jump In! premiered in Latin America.
On July 1, 2007, the channel rebranded its graphical package to a more "hip" look, using the "Ribbon" branding of the US Disney Channel.
On June 1, 2008, The Walt Disney Company Latin America launched Playhouse Disney (now Disney Jr.), a preschool-oriented channel focused solely on programming for young children aged 2 to 7.
The Disney Junior-branded block in the morning continued to broadcast in the same schedule until 2019. In 2008, Disney Mobile was rebranded as Disney Mobile Studios, which created content for cell phones.
On November 1, 2009, Disney Channel launched its fifth feed, the Pacific feed, aimed at Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia and employed the Chilean time zone. On that same date, the network changed schedules, idents and promos in all of its feeds. On August 20, 2010, a new logo was introduced. On December 2, 2012, Disney Channel Latin America launched its own HD channel, simulcasting the Central feed.
On July 28, 2014, Disney Channel rebranded its graphical package with the graphical branding Glass first used in Germany on January 17, 2014, and in the US on May 23, 2014.
In 2016, Disney Channel HD became an independent channel with its own schedules, with promos now using three time zones (Mexico, Colombia and Argentina times).
On June 9, 2017, the channel rebranded its graphic identity, with a characteristic design of the communities united by social media, three months after it was introduced in the US.
On July 29, 2019, the channel rebranded its opening graphics, similar to those of the US version, but the promos remained in the previous style. In the same year, all feeds launch their HD simulcasts, with the original HD channel turning into a high-definition simulcast of the Central feed again.
On October 30, 2020, fifteen months after the previous rebrand, the channel rebranded its graphics and typography with the graphical branding Geometric Shapes, disengaging from the US version, which had a more minimalist graphical branding designed by Flopicco and featured a new announcer. The on-screen logo was even smaller and had a variant with a black background.
On December 2, 2024, The Walt Disney Company announced that Disney Channel would end in Brazil along with its sister channels (except for its ESPN channels) on February 28, 2025. In Hispanic America, the channel will continue to operate (along with its sister channel Disney Jr. which had also closed in Brazil on April 1, 2022) as it is one of the most popular pay TV channels in Mexico and in all Hispanic America, that added to the facts that the Hispanic American market having a high penetration of pay TV and is less reliant on cord-cutting than Brazil.
On August 6, 2025, the channel rebranded its logo, typography and graphic identity with the graphical branding Reflections designed by MAKinÉ Studios and Claus Studios, six months after the US version. The new brand opts for a modern and minimalist design similar to the graphical branding Signature Strokes used on Disney Channel EMEA, with a gradient color palette of blue and pink/purple. In addition, the on-screen logo it became a large size again, and the new logo removes the Mickey Mouse ears from the letter I.
Feeds Disney Channel has two different feeds for each region, which are called North and Panregional; these are broadcast in high definition natively simultaneously with the standard resolution signal. Until July 2014, the North, Center and HD feeds featured Mexican voice actors Noé Velásquez and Pedro de la Llata, with a neutral accent, while the South feed was narrated by Argentine voice actor Leandro Dugatkin with a River Plate accent. After the rebrand of July 28, 2014, all the feeds featured locutions of Noé Velázquez and Lion Ollivier. Since the rebrand of October 30, 2020, all the feeds feature locutions of Emilio Treviño and Natalia Rosminati. +List of feedsFeed NameCountry/TerritoryHeadquartersLanguage(s)Time Zone(s)North MexicoMexico CitySpanishEnglish (via SAP)Mexico - CT (UTC−06:00)PanregionalArgentinaBoliviaCaribbeanCentral AmericaChileColombiaDominican RepublicEcuadorParaguayPeruUruguayVenezuelaBuenos AiresBogotáArgentina - ART (UTC−03:00)Colombia - COT (UTC−05:00)
Notes
In January 2010, a channel signal was launched based in Santiago and aimed at Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. It was divided into two sub-signals, with the same programming: One for Chile and Bolivia, with Chilean hours and commercials; and another for Peru and Ecuador, with local commercials and with one or two hours of delay in programming, depending on the time change in Chile in summer and winter. The deferred sub-signal for Peru and Ecuador was discontinued in March 2017, in favor of a new autonomous signal specifically for those two countries, called the Peru signal. On June 5, 2017, the Pacific signal was suppressed to serve as a mirror channel to the South Atlantic Signal with a difference of one hour (Signal +1), based in Buenos Aires, while the Peru signal's broadcast was discontinued autonomously. and retransmits the same content as the South Atlantic signal (later South Signal) with a difference of two hours (signal +2). Both services broadcast advertising according to the countries of coverage. In April 2019, Signal +2 was eliminated and replaced by Signal +1 in Peru and Ecuador. In Peru, Movistar TV formerly offered the Pacific signal without delay in the satellite service, while in the digital and analogue cable service it had the signal deferred for two hours (Pacific Signal +2). From March to June 2017, the cable channel becomes Peru Signal. In June 2017, due to the changes made by Disney, Movistar began to offer the South Signal +2 by cable, while the South Signal +1 continued to be available in the satellite service. In April 2019, after the elimination of the South Signal +2, the cable service replaced it with the Signal +1. In Chile, Peru and Ecuador, the original Sur signal are seen through DirecTV and TuVes HD, since May 2021, these countries geographically receive the Sur signal. In Colombia, Movistar TV broadcast the Pacific signal until February 2017, when it was replaced by the North Atlantic Signal (later Central Signal) due to the division of the Pacific signal in two. In Venezuela, Movistar TV distributes the South Signal +1. From March to June 2017, it continued to distribute the Chile signal despite the division of the Pacific signal. In Argentina, Disney Channel issued Advertising Space identifiers, as a result of the legal provisions established by Law 26,522 on Audiovisual Communication Services and Modifications. This practice was reversed in 2016. In Mexico, Disney Channel displays age rating identifiers at the beginning of each program or film available under media laws in the country. From its launch in December 2012 until its closure in August 2018, Disney Channel HD was broadcast simultaneously throughout Latin America in high definition, but did not make a simultaneous connection with local signals. It had independent programming. On August 14, 2018, the channel was replaced by the HD versions of the local signals depending on the country. In itself, its programming began to broadcast the Disney Channel's Central signal. In Argentina, Movistar TV distributed the North Signal from 2018 until 2020, when it was replaced by the channel's South signal. In Honduras, the operator Mayavisión distributes Disney Channel's North signal but not the channel's Panregional Signal. In Central America and the Dominican Republic, the Sky satellite operator broadcasts the North Signal instead of the Panregional signal. In Colombia and Paraguay, Claro TV offered the South Signal +1 in its satellite service, since May 1, 2021, it offers the original South signal after the elimination of the South Signal +1. In Panama, Tigo in its satellite version broadcasts the South +1 signal instead of the Center Signal. From May 1, 2021, it broadcasts the original South signal after the elimination of the South +1 signal. On May 1, 2021, the South +1 signal was discontinued after in eleven year ran and was replaced by the original South signal without delay in Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. On February 1, 2025, the Central signal was eliminated, with the North and Panregional signals remaining. The countries of Central America and the Caribbean, Colombia and Venezuela began receiving the South signal, with the channel reverting to being composed of two signals as in its launch.
Programming
Series produced by Disney Television Animation and Disney Channel Original Series are aired on most of the schedule. Some non-original series have also aired, such as Floricienta, Patito Feo, Mortified, The Fairly OddParents, Chiquititas, A Kind of Magic, The Secret Show, The Next Step, George of the Jungle, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, Find Me in Paris, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia or Tara Duncan. There have also been locally produced original series, such as a As the Bell Rings, Soy Luna, Violetta, Bia, STM or Selenkay.
Programming blocks
Sabatón Sabatón () is a programming block that originated on Disney XD, broadcast every Saturday. A different marathon of some animation series aired three hours each week. It's joined the channel on April 2, 2022, two days after Disney XD was shut down in the region.
Cartoon Block