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Turkey to get Disney free-to-air TV
By Matthew Garrahan in Los Angeles
Walt Disney is launching the Disney Channel on free-to-air television in Turkey in a move that will increase the channel’s distribution to more than 100m homes across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The Disney Channel is typically limited to pay-TV services but in 2008 the company launched a free-to-air service in Spain. Turkey is the second market chosen by Disney for free-to-air distribution and by using the Free Sat platform the company will have access to 60 per cent of homes in the country from January 2012.
Disney said it was evaluating countries on a case by case basis and said it had not abandoned distribution of The Disney Channel on pay-TV. “It depends on the distribution that is available in each market,” said Giorgio Stock, executive vice president, content division, Walt Disney Europe.
In the UK, for example, the Disney Channel is available on British Sky Broadcasting’s pay-TV services. “If our pay partners have significant distribution we are happy to use that to get into homes. But if there’s a limit to how many homes we can get into then we will look at going free-to-air…the aim at a global level is to seek the widest possible distribution for our content”.
The Disney Channel had until now been available in Turkey on pay-TV services. However, Turkey is becoming an increasingly important media market: it has a young population, with 43 per cent of its 73m population below the age of 25.
Disney said there was also a growing affinity for digital media in Turkey. There are more than 30m Facebook users in Turkey, making it the fourth largest Facebook market in the world – and the largest in Europe.
Meanwhile, the country boasts attractive media assets which have interested several international buyers. Dogan Yayin, Turkey’s biggest media group, was the subject of an auction process this year, attracting inquiries from Time Warner, and private equity firms KKR and TPG.
However, the sale looks to have stalled, with the company instead electing to sell a selection of smaller assets rather than pursue an outright sale.
The Disney Channel in Turkey will feature some original Turkish programming, in a bid to entice new viewers to the station. “We’re trying to give it a local tone of voice and local taste,” Mr Stock said.
The channel has not had an international hit comparable to Hannah Montana or High School Musical for several years: they were spun off into lucrative movies, albums and touring shows but replacing them has been tricky.
However, the company has high hopes for its Phineas and Pherb animated series, while Jake and the Neverland Pirates has also become a big international hit with younger viewers.
By Matthew Garrahan in Los Angeles
Walt Disney is launching the Disney Channel on free-to-air television in Turkey in a move that will increase the channel’s distribution to more than 100m homes across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The Disney Channel is typically limited to pay-TV services but in 2008 the company launched a free-to-air service in Spain. Turkey is the second market chosen by Disney for free-to-air distribution and by using the Free Sat platform the company will have access to 60 per cent of homes in the country from January 2012.
Disney said it was evaluating countries on a case by case basis and said it had not abandoned distribution of The Disney Channel on pay-TV. “It depends on the distribution that is available in each market,” said Giorgio Stock, executive vice president, content division, Walt Disney Europe.
In the UK, for example, the Disney Channel is available on British Sky Broadcasting’s pay-TV services. “If our pay partners have significant distribution we are happy to use that to get into homes. But if there’s a limit to how many homes we can get into then we will look at going free-to-air…the aim at a global level is to seek the widest possible distribution for our content”.
The Disney Channel had until now been available in Turkey on pay-TV services. However, Turkey is becoming an increasingly important media market: it has a young population, with 43 per cent of its 73m population below the age of 25.
Disney said there was also a growing affinity for digital media in Turkey. There are more than 30m Facebook users in Turkey, making it the fourth largest Facebook market in the world – and the largest in Europe.
Meanwhile, the country boasts attractive media assets which have interested several international buyers. Dogan Yayin, Turkey’s biggest media group, was the subject of an auction process this year, attracting inquiries from Time Warner, and private equity firms KKR and TPG.
However, the sale looks to have stalled, with the company instead electing to sell a selection of smaller assets rather than pursue an outright sale.
The Disney Channel in Turkey will feature some original Turkish programming, in a bid to entice new viewers to the station. “We’re trying to give it a local tone of voice and local taste,” Mr Stock said.
The channel has not had an international hit comparable to Hannah Montana or High School Musical for several years: they were spun off into lucrative movies, albums and touring shows but replacing them has been tricky.
However, the company has high hopes for its Phineas and Pherb animated series, while Jake and the Neverland Pirates has also become a big international hit with younger viewers.