Walt Disney will close its pay-TV channels Fox and Disney Junior in Germany, Austria and Switzerland on September 30, 2021, a Disney spokesperson confirmed to Broadband TV News.
The films, series and other programmes will migrate to streaming service Disney+, including productions from Disney subsidiaries Disney Television Studios (20th Television and ABC Signature), FX Productions and 20th Century Studios.
Content from children’s channel Disney Junior will also be shown on the German version of free-TV channel Disney Channel, which “will remain an important channel in our distribution strategy”, the spokeswoman stressed. The pay-TV channels National Geographic and National Geographic Wild will also continue to be offered in German-speaking countries.
The decision does not come as a surprise: Disney has already closed linear channels in other countries in order to focus on Disney+ including Fox in Sweden and the UK. Similar moves will follow in further markets.
