Is Disney Channel shutting down around the world in 2025? Viral claim debunked

A recent rumor claiming that the Disney Channel will shut down worldwide in 2025 made its way to social media. While many users seemed to make the claims in late November, it went viral on X after a user @layxsnv, shared a post claiming that the "Disney Channel will stop airing for good" in January 2025. The post shared on X on Monday, December 2, 2024, also stated that the channel will allegedly go out of service after 27 years since it started.

The X user also added two images to their post, the first which had Disney channel's original logo and the second one of rapper Snoop Dogg in tears. The post went viral on social media amassing over 444,300 views in less than 24 hours.

However, the viral claim is fake as Disney Channel will not be shutting down glocally in the next year. Several publications confirmed that the channel will continue to run, across the world, except in some countries like Spain and France.

It will continue broadcasting in the USA and The Walt Disney Company has not made any announcement otherwise.

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Disney Channel will not cease broadcasting universally in 2025

The Disney Channel’s closure in several countries is based on The Walt Disney Company’s efforts to move its content online and broadcast it via its streaming platform, Disney+.

The company has permanently shut down the channel and its sister channels in several countries including the United Kingdom, Italy, and Australia. As of now, the channel has also stopped broadcasting in South Korea, and many other countries in Southeast Asia.

Disney Channel will also cease operations in France and Spain on January 1 and 7, 2025, respectively. The former follows the expiry of their contract with Canal+, their French partnering network. Notably, Disney Junior is also to be discontinued in France as the new year comes in the wake of Disney XD's recent closure in the country.

The channel's termination in Spain will mark the end of an era after its 27-year run on Spanish TV. It initially began airing in 1998 as a pay-TV channel, however, in 2008, Disney made it a free-to-air channel, making it the first country to get the benefit.

The channel in Spain had its own fanbase and has aired foreign shows and films, apart from creating original Spanish-language shows. The former include Hannah Montana, High School Musical, and The Wizards of Waverly Place, while the latter includes Art Attack and Cambio de Clase.

However, with the launch of streaming services, the viewership began declining to 0.7-0.8 percent in the last few years.

Apart from that, the channel also faced a decline from being among the top 10 networks globally in 2014 to getting roughly 132,000 views per day in 2023. Notably, all content that was earlier broadcasted on the channel across such countries will henceforth be available on Disney+.

Meanwhile, Disney is not yet considering shutting down its access to television in North America. Therefore, the rumors that the channel is being discontinued in the USA are untrue and unfounded. However, the popularity of Disney+ across the United States continues to grow.

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The Disney Channel was launched in April 2023 in its home market United States as a pay-television channel meant for families. However, it later shifted its focus to kids and teenagers, primarily the age group of 6 to 14.

The channel which has its headquarters in Burbank, California, is a flagship property of Disney Branded Television, owned by Disney Entertainment, under the parent firm, The Walt Disney Company.