| Disney XD (Wales) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Launched | September 1st, 1997 (as Disneytoon Plus) June 1st, 2004 (as Jetix) August 1st, 2010 (as Disney XD) TBA 2020 (as Beta Cartoon) |
| Owned by | Firebasket Television (branding licensed from The Walt Disney Company) |
| Slogan | The Future is Now! (primary) Melty (summer 2017) |
| Country | Wales |
| Language | English Welsh |
| Formerly called | Disneytoon Plus (1997 - 2004) Jetix (2004-10) Disney XD (2010-20) |
Disney XD is a Welsh television channel that launched in 1997 as Disneytoon Plus.
Disney XD Wales is currently sorted under "Entertainment", and thus not subject to certain Ofcom regulations. However, some anime and other material aired on the network is censored between the hours of 5AM and 9PM to comply with other regulations.
History[]
As Disneytoon Plus[]
TBA.
As Jetix[]
In June 2004, the channel was relaunched as Jetix. Just a few months before the relaunch, a Jetix-branded production company, Jetix Cymru, was founded to produce Jetix Wales' original series.
After the rebrand, Jetix announced that it would commission at least three series from TV Tokyo for a Shonen Jump lineup. In 2009, it was stated that among these were Sand Land and Karakuri Dôji Ultimo; Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World was also considered for an adaptation, but Gallop ultimately refused, stating that the title was merely used for the English translation of an arc from the first Yu-Gi-Oh! manga. Of the three commissioned series, only Sand Land was aired before the channel's conversion to Disney XD.
In 2004, both Jetix and Disneytoon signed a 14-year exclusive deal with TV Tokyo to be the exclusive first-run linear TV broadcasters of TV Tokyo programming distributed in Wales; the deal expired on July 1st, 2018, after which several companies began to bid for TV Tokyo series that are not already licensed for Welsh release by NickFamily Licensing. When Curiousgorge66 Studios bought both channels in 2014, they continued to honor the deal with TV Tokyo until its expiration.
TBA.
As Disney XD[]
In 2010, the channel was relaunched as Disney XD. However, Jetix Cymru still operated mainly to produce the series FusionFall, as well as Mario & Luigi: The Series: Dream Team.
In 2014, Curiousgorge66 Studios acquired the Welsh Disney XD and the Scottish Disney XD in a deal that also included Disneytoon, Nick Scotland, Nicktoons Scotland, and the Southeast Asian feed of Nicktoons.
In 2017, Jetix Retro was announced as a new channel for repeats of shows formerly seen on Disney XD Wales, similar to the United States Cartoon Network XD Retro.
Also in 2017, in line with the U.S. channel, Disney XD announced that it would air new Pokémon seasons from Sun & Moon onward (after previously airing Sinnoh League Victors before the show moved to Disneytoon/Disney Channel/GorgeTV), marking the show's return to the network. In addition, the pre-Black & White seasons will be rerun on NickSplat, with Disney XD airing new episodes. The network has also licensed the spin-off series Pokémon Adventures, Pokémon Chronicles: Ultimate Mystery Dungeon, and Pokémon ReBURST for Welsh broadcast.
On June 5th, 2017, the Disney XD mobile app was launched, featuring most shows seen on the linear network.
In February 2018, Disney XD announced that they are partnering with SurgeAnime TOO for the Welsh broadcast rights to SurgeAnime TOO's first-run anime series, though their prior deal with NickFamily Licensing will remain. The same month, Disney XD began airing Dōjin Work, Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter (with episodes split into two parts), and Fate/stay night in the 10PM hour on Tuesday nights as part of an unnamed block.
Despite running later seasons of Jewelpet at an earlier timeframe, Disney XD announced that it would bring the first season over to Wales in March 2018.
In 2018, it was announced that acquired programming on Disney XD save Jewelpet. Jewelpet Academy, and FLCL: Alt would slowly move first-run episodes to Disney Channel, including previously-announced Welsh premieres of Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works, Guilty Crown, and Servamp. Reruns of past Disney XD original programming would also move to Disney Channel. However, Cocotama would premiere on Disney XD in Japanese with English/Welsh subtitles on April 17th, 2018, with the English/Welsh dubs premiering in May 2018.
In June 2018, it was announced that they were moving additional series to Disney Channel. These included the remaining episodes of Fate/stay night after it garnered Disney XD's lowest ratings for late-night, RWBY Chibi due its parent series having moved to Disney Channel, as well as The Bagel and Becky Show.
In July 2018, a lawsuit regarding the content of the channel was filed against Jetix Cymru.
By February 2019, due to lowering ratings, every shōjo anime that was airing on the channel at the time (except for Jewelpet, which is slated to move to Disney Channel Wales beginning in April 2019) was dropped or moved to Disney Channel.
On April 1st, 2019, the Adult Swim April Fool's Day prank Gēmusetto Machu Picchu was simulcasted (albeit with some edits for content) on Disney XD's Welsh feed between the hours of 12AM and 6AM. Though unannounced, it was the last first-run program on the Welsh feed prior to the announcement of Miss XV.
By April 27th, 2019, it was announced that Disney XD Wales would be removing all Nickelodeon content due to a soon-to-be-expiring contract between Viacom Europe and the network's owner (the contract being set to expire in August 2019), as well as removing all its remaining syndicated Cartoon Network content, except for the Jetix Cymru production FusionFall and several Cartoon Network XD/NickFamily Studios co-productions, and moving part of it exclusively to Cartoon Network proper. Aura Television Productions series began to be removed from the channel in June 2019, alongside BakuTech! Bakugan.
Since April 30th, 2019, rumors have circulated that the sale of Disney XD's Welsh feed would trigger a re-branding of Jetix Cymru.
It is projected that by May 2019, Disney XD Wales would have lost part of its current remaining programming to other networks, its sister networks Disney Channel and Cartoon Network included. Among the programming that would switch networks are Jewelpet Academy, Jewelpet, and BakuTech! Bakugan.
For a short period of time, Zoids: Genesis was aired in syndication on Disney XD Wales, being removed three days after its network premiere. Reruns of Rock Dog were also removed on May 11th, 2019.
On June 9th, 2019, Curiousgorge66 Studios shuffled the channel, Disney Channel, and Cartoon Network to Aura International due to the Aura split from Curiousgorge66 Studios.
On July 12th, 2019, it was announced that Jetix Cymru has renamed its production division to "Disney XD Productions Cardiff", which will be credited on two upcoming Disney XD Wales original series, Miss XV and Size Fox.
In November 2019, the channel, alongside its sister channels, was selected among six international networks to have a livestream simulcast in the United States courtesy of Flare+. Due to rights issues for English-language broadcast rights, only the Welsh feed would be provided. NickFamily Stream will carry the livestream from December 2019 until its shutdown in April 2020.
In December 2019, Jetix Cymru announced that Disney XD would begin timesharing with Aura Retro upon the latter's rebrand as AuraRW (short for Aura Rewind). However, AuraRW never launched.
After May 1st, 2020, Jewelpet was removed from Disney XD Wales' linear schedule.
In June 2020, Jetix Cymru announced that it was putting the channel space up for sale, and would move the channel's remaining programming to Aura and Cartoon Network. Flare+ would subsequently remove the channel's US simulcast in an update during its beta testing phase. Firebasket have stated they were interested in the channel and have announced their bid to buy the channel space. The sale was finalized on September 22nd, 2020.
TBA.
Programming[]
Programming blocks[]
As Disneytoon Plus[]
- Jetix (2004): A block which aired action programming from the U.S. block of the same name. The block was discontinued in June 2004 when it became its own channel.
As Jetix[]
- Jetix Mornings (2007 - 2010): Aired during the mornings, Jetix Mornings aired programming aimed at preschoolers and mainly aired programs from Playhouse Disney. Prior to 2007, Jetix Wales did not air any programming aimed at preschoolers. Several shows from the block were carried over to Disney XD.
- Shonen Jump/Jetixarama (2004 - 2008): Aired during late night for the first four years of Jetix Wales's existence, the first half of the block was divided into "Shonen Jump" and aired programming based off manga serialized in the American magazine Shonen Jump, while the other half focused more on general adult fare, most prominently South Park and Futurama.
- Jetix at Night (2008 - 2010): Aired during late night, Jetix at Night aired programming aimed at adults and is similar in structure to Adult Swim. Several shows from the block were carried over to Disney XD.
As Disney XD[]
- Toonami on Disney XD (2012 - 2016): Aired on Saturday nights, Toonami on Disney XD aired anime programming and other animated programming aimed at adults. As of 2016, Toonami no longer airs in Wales; however, several shows aired by Toonami on Disney XD are currently reran on Disney XD.
- Anime Run (2016): A former block consisting of Danganronpa: The Animation, season one of Noragami, and Maple Town. Maple Town was later replaced with Akademi Murders six weeks in, and Noragami with Angel Beats! once it ended. After Danganronpa: The Animation ended, the block was cut to one hour until being cancelled once Angel Beats! ended.
- Anime Block at Night (2017): A block that airs anime series such as Powerpuff Girls Z, Kill la Kill, and Beyblade: Burst.
- Anime Block (2017 - 2018): A block that airs anime series such as Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Monsters and Digimon Fusion.
- One Saturday Morning (2017-18): Named after the former American block of the same name, the block broadcast five hours of programming formerly seen on Disney Channel and One Saturday Morning / ABC Kids. The block used the same 90s intro and bumpers as the former American block, albeit with ABC branding being replaced with Disney XD branding. Prior to its cancellation, most of the block's programming save Pepper Ann was removed.
- Really Fun Summer (2017 - present; on hiatus): A daily two-hour block that was launched in July and has since been put on hiatus. The block airs premieres of Cybersix, Even Stevens, Ketchup Cafe: Cats That Cook, and Maple Town '17.
- Summer of Pranks (July 2017): A two-hour block starting off with an hour of What's with Andy? followed by other cartoons, usually Jewelpet. To promote the block, reruns of What's with Andy? air on Cartoon Network.
- Disney XD at Night (2017): A reboot of Jetix at Night, the block shows various programs from Adult Swim and D|XP. The block only airs on weeknights due to the Saturday night block Anime Block at Night. The block is not to be confused with the United States block of the same name. The block was cancelled after only a week due to low ratings; its shows were moved to MTV.
- Disney XD Saturday Mornings (2018 - present): A Saturday-morning cartoon block, replacing One Saturday Morning in January 2018.
Gallery[]
Logos[]
Trivia[]
- Since 2004, Jetix/Disney XD Wales has been on channel 684 on some cable provider listings throughout Wales.
TBA.