The National Hockey League and ESPN will look to score with young viewers through the animation of a live March hockey game on Disney Channel.

The unique March 14 telecast of the Washington Capitals-New York Rangers game — dubbed the NHL Big City Greens Classic — will feature live animation of players and teams modeled after characters on Disney Channel’s animated series Big City Greens, said network officials. 

Disney Channel, along with Disney XD and Disney Plus, will carry the alternate feed of ESPN’s hockey telecast, which will feature NHL Edge positioning data to recreate the action on the ice as it is happening, but with Big City Greens characters skating alongside animated versions of the NHL players, network officials said.

ESPN commentators will call the action alongside Big City Greens voice talent, including Marieve Herington, who voices the Tilly character in the series.

“Working with Disney Channel and the NHL, we are producing a telecast that will reach a new and different audience and help to grow hockey fandom even more,” ESPN senior VP of programming and acquisitions Ilan Ben-Hanan said in a statement. “Big City Greens has a huge following in a younger audience that we are excited to tap into, offering a fun and creative way to enjoy the game across Disney platforms.” ■

Disney Branded Television has promoted programming executive Ayo Davis as its new president, succeeding departing president Gary Marsh. 

Davis, currently executive VP for creative development and strategy for Disney Branded Television, will oversee the operations the company, including programming, strategy, development, casting, business affairs and marketing for scripted, unscripted and animation across Disney Plus, Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior.

Davis succeeds Marsh, who earlier this week announced he was leaving the position to launch a new production company. The two will work closely on a transition through the rest of the year, Disney said. 

Read Also: Disney Junior Calls on Spider-Man, Mickey Mouse to Help Drive Preschool Viewership

Davis, a 20-year Disney veteran, was promoted to her current position in November 2020 after previously serving as executive VP, talent and casting, at ABC Entertainment and Disney Plus. In her most recent position, Davis cultivated a partnership with Kerry Washington’s Simpson Street Productions to adapt Janae Marks’s book From the Desk of Zoe Washington, and attached Eva Longoria and Ben Spector’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment to Carlos Hernandez’s Sal & Gabi Break the Universe.  She is also responsible for helping to bring in House of Secrets filmmaker Chris Columbus. Davis also collaborates closely with studios across Disney, including 20th Television and ABC Signature.

Davis will report to Disney chairman of General Entertainment Content Peter Rice, who in a statement called Davis “a focused leader” with impeccable creative instincts.

“Her creative eye for talent has made meaningful impact in front of and behind the camera, from iconic shows across our networks that were defined by their casting choices to building a roster of creator talent that will redefine family programming at Disney Branded Television,“ Rice said. ”She’s the absolute perfect person to lead the team at a time they are broadening their remit to develop more family programming across streaming and cable distribution. I’m excited to watch all she will accomplish.”

Added Davis: “I am beyond grateful to Peter Rice and Gary Marsh for their extraordinary leadership, support and mentorship. It’s a tremendous honor to continue Gary’s legacy of delighting kids and families through Disney Branded TV’s unparalleled storytelling, and it’s an amazing time for kids and family programming. I’m thrilled to continue working with my team, colleagues, our TV studios and, of course, the creators who trust us with their projects as we work to develop the next generation of beloved stories and franchises.” 

In a landmark move that shifts distribution of content from linear pay TV to direct-to-consumer streaming, Disney announced that it will no longer distribute Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior in the UK. The media conglomerate will instead distribute movies and series targeted to those kids networks through its Disney Plus streaming service. 

“From October 1st,  Disney Plus will become the exclusive home for content from Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior in the UK,” Disney said in a statement. 

"The direct-to-consumer service, which garnered more than 54.5 million subscribers worldwide in its first seven months, will now premiere all the latest films, series and specials from the three Disney channels, along with offering a rich and expansive back catalogue of Disney Channel titles in the UK, including Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Descendants 3 and Phineas and Ferb," Disney said.

Also read: Disney Plus: Everything You Need to Know About the Service That Went From Zero to 28.6 Million Users in Less Than Three Months

Disney’s move comes after the conglomerate failed to reach carriage terms for its kids networks with the UK’s major pay TV operators, Liberty Global’s Virgin Media and Comcast’s Sky. 

It also comes after departure announcement of David Levine, Disney’s VP of kids programming in Europe and Africa. He’s ending his 16-year tenure at the end of June. 

A Sky rep reminded The Hollywood Reporter that the pay TV operator had already struck a distribution deal for Disney Plus, adding  "We have over 5,000 episodes of on demand content alongside our brilliant linear channels, from our partners Viacom and Turner, and we’re investing more in our own Sky kids originals, too, like Moominvalley and Morph. Kids can watch favorites like Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol, SpongeBob Squarepants and The Amazing World of Gumball, all the wonderful LEGO content and much, much more. And it is all available in one place – together with the best apps, like Disney+ and Netflix – on [premium pay TV service] Sky Q.”

PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore told THR that Disney’s move represents "a landmark moment.

”The streaming revolution is gathering pace and cannot be ignored,” Pescatore added. “Companies can no longer continue to support a slew of channels and cannibalize revenue streams. The future is all about streaming and this latest move sets a benchmark for others to follow suit."

Season two of Tacoma FD starts on truTV March 26. Steve Lemme and Kevin Heffernan play firefighters in rainy Tacoma, Washington. The creator pair said they hear from plenty of first responders who dig the show. “We are told it’s the most accurate firefighter show on television,” said Lemme. “There’s plenty of hijinks and comedy.”

Well-regarded comedies today tilt toward dramedies, but Tacoma FD sticks to the yuks. “We create a world that people want to hang out in,” said Heffernan.

The season has 13 episodes, after season one had 10. Heffernan sees it as a vote of confidence from truTV. “I think it was a test run last season,” he said, “and we passed the test.”

Joe Pantoliano guest stars. The season’s highlight? Heffernan “shaking his tail feather,” said Lemme, in a salsa lesson. “It’s an incredible dance sequence,” he added. Noted Heffernan, “I will tell you — things go awry.”

Home Before Dark is on Apple TV+ April 3. It’s based on the gumshoe endeavors of Hilde Lysiak (see Review, page 8). When she was 9, Lysiak broke the news about a murder in her neighborhood in her Orange Street News. “From that moment on, for her it was, this is who I am, and this is what I have to do with my life,” said Dana Fox, showrunner/executive producer.

The series is far more than a “plucky little girl who solves crimes,” said Fox. “She takes the job of finding the truth very seriously.”

Brooklynn Prince plays Hilde. Fox called her “a complete revelation.”

Home Before Dark is a bingeable mystery, said Fox, and fun for the whole family. She compares it to watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Goonies with her family as a girl. “You see exciting, wonderful, scary things,” she said. “And at the end of the day, you’re OK.”

Fowl Play on Disney XD

On April 4, it’s season three of DuckTales on Disney XD. The Duck family embarks on a globetrotting hunt for the world’s greatest lost artifacts. Huey, Dewey and Louie work side by side this season.

“We never had a season where the whole family shares a goal,” co-executive producer Francisco Angones said of them taking on Fiendish Organization for World Larceny (F.O.W.L.).

Danny Pudi voices Huey, Ben Schwartz handles Dewey and Bobby Moynihan is Louie. Exec producer Matt Youngberg said each actor puts his own stamp on his duck. “Each has such a distinct voice, but they meld so well together,” he said.

Youngberg and Angones said it’s the characters that keep viewers watching DuckTales. “Once viewers have emotional resonance with the characters,” Youngberg said, “they want to see what happens to them.”

The Big Hero 6 series is set to air, a few years after the 2014 film came out. It has been a long three years for executive producers Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle. “When you have an actual airdate after you’ve been working on it for three years, it’s, ‘Oh wow! People are actually gonna watch it!’ ” Schooley said.

Disney XD will preview two episodes Nov. 20 on its app and on-demand, after the one-hour movie Baymax Returns. The series officially starts early in 2018 and picks up where the movie left off, exploring the relationship of 14-year-old Hiro and robot Baymax, who Hiro believed was lost forever.

The show, like the movie, is set in the mashup metropolis of San Fransokyo. “The city was a character in the movie,” McCorkle said. “We get to explore more parts of the city.”

The voice cast includes Maya Rudolph, Ryan Potter and Scott Adsit, with Andy Richter in a recurring role as Globby. McCorkle described Globby as “the most incompetent pickpocket in the city.”

The producers rave about Richter. “Like the classic voiceover guys,” said Schooley, “he just gets it.”

McCorkle promises “a great catalog of villains” in Big Hero 6.

Also boasting of memorable villains is Frontier on Netflix. Season two of the series, which looks at the rough-and-tumble fur trade in the early 18th century, starts Nov. 24. Executive producer/director Brad Peyton said Frontier offers something no other series does: A close-up of working folks in the 1700s. “I decided to do it because there were no other shows set in that time period, unless they were about the upper-class and British royalty,” Peyton said. “We’re interested in exploring the working class.”

The show is shot in Newfound-land, not far from where Peyton grew up. “It’s weird having your aunts and uncles come by the set,” he shared.

Season one, he said, featured antagonist versus protagonist. Season two sees “the antagonists start to turn on each other.”

The new season also sees ruthless Declan Harp, played by Jason Momoa, evolve in his desire for vengeance, looking to form an alliance to take down rival Hudson’s Bay Company.

Peyton’s highlight of season two? “Two words: Jason Momoa,” he said. “He’s really enthusiastic about his character, and really goes the extra mile.”

He mentioned Momoa showing up one day, volunteering to start a scene from inside a frozen lake. “Jason has a real savagery and real charm that he brings to work every day,” Peyton said.

TV networks still think eSports will be a big winner, although none of them has quite yet cracked the code on the emerging genre.

The young people who are fleeing traditional TV are flocking to online gaming sites. Reaching those viewers could be a bonanza, so such programmers as The Walt Disney Co. and its ESPN unit, Turner and NBCUniversal are airing tournaments and video game review shows. Sports leagues, including most recently the National Basketball Association, are also jumping in.

“Humans enjoy watching people play video games more than we thought,” said Marc Buhaj, senior vice president of programming and general manager for Disney XD, which this summer has been airing a primetime block of gamer programming called “D|XP.”

“That’s not groundbreaking to an audience that’s doing it, but it is quite insightful to some old dinosaurs that didn’t know that,” Buhaj said, adding, “we haven’t seen numbers where we’re literally backing the money truck in here.”

THE SPORTS ISSUE:eSports Gets a ‘Monumental’ Push

Big Upside to eSports
The windfall from people watching people play on-screen games on a screen is potentially huge. eSports is expected to be a $696 million business in 2017, up 41% from last year, according to gaming research company Newzoo. That includes spending of $155 million on advertising, $266 million on sponsorships and $95 million on media rights. Newzoo’s forecast calls for eSports revenue jump to $1.5 billion by 2020, as brand investment doubles.

Most of gaming activity is now online. TV networks are looking to cash in as well. Time Warner’s Turner unit announced plans to start its eLeague joint venture with WME/IMG in 2015.

“When we looked at this space, obviously we saw the gargantuan numbers that everybody’s been exposed to,” Turner Sports chief content officer Craig Barry said.

But to be big, eSports has to be more mainstream.

“To be fair, I’m not sure anybody’s cracked the code on it,” Barry said. “So we continue to experiment. We continue to try new things. It’s not a matter of if; it’s a matter of when, and it’s a matter of creating the best user experience for the highest level of engagement.”

THE SPORTS ISSUE: Sports Streaming Picks Up the Pace |OTT Players Could Change Television’s Sports Game

This summer, Disney XD turned over a big chunk of its schedule to gaming, with the D|XP block airing daily from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. (ET).

The programming covered a variety of genres, including live tournaments, game review programs, news coverage of gaming events and variety shows. The network got the programming from partners including ESL, Vice Media, Warner Brothers IGN, and Attack Media, as well as the Disney Digital Network and ESPN.

Disney XD ordered about 400 half-hours of programming, about two-thirds of which has aired so far. Buhaj, the network’s general manager regards the project as a pilot — a really big pilot.

So far, he said, viewers haven’t rejected the new programming, which is a good first step, and a couple of the shows — game review show Parker Plays, featuring YouTuber Parker Coppins, and Polaris: Player Select — did well enough to air elsewhere on the network.

Buhaj also said he was pleased with the response to the Super Smash Brothers and Street Fighter tournaments the network aired in mid-July.

But there were no huge hits. “The reason for that is gaming is still quite fringe,” he said. The programming also needs to find a permanent home where viewers will know they can find it.

The network’s research team is still going over viewer response to break down whether the programming is attracting new viewers to the already young-skewing channel.

“The 18-to-24-year-old age group is certainly one that’s responded well,” he said. “All we can go off is anecdotal feedback at the moment and certainly some people who are in that demographic here at work who may not usually watch the channel have suddenly found it new and interesting.”

Buhaj plans to make a decision about continuing the gamer programming later this year.

For Disney XD’s corporate cousins at ESPN, which has televised EA Madden football and Heroes of the Storm tournaments, eSports represents an opportunity to reach another generation of young males.

John Lasker, vice president of digital media programming at ESPN, noted that unlike other sports, eSports starts out as an online phenomenon. “Although traditionally we’re looked at as a television network, we are on all of the platforms that eSports has found success in,” Lasker said. “And that, combined with that younger male demographic, makes it an interesting category for us.”

Sports Games Cross Over
Video games that resemble traditional sports are a bit easier for TV viewers to follow, he said.

“A positive thing that we’ve seen is that there’s a really nice crossover of existing sports fans that have high interest in eSports,” Lasker said.

Turner’s Barry said his company produces tournaments differently for online and TV viewers. “We understand that it’s a native digital platform,” he said. “The hard core eSports community is going to consume the majority of their content online.

“Broadcast for us is a portal. We’re able to use that portal to teach the more casual fan how to play and how to watch. On a platform like Twitch, that might insult viewers.”

Advertisers are also starting to buy in.

“The reason we’re interested in this is the same reason advertisers are interested, because of that hard-to-reach demo that seems to be continuing grow,” Lasker said. “So the advertiser interest, I believe, has matched what our interest had been up until this point.”

Disney Channel has greenlit new seasons of live action series Stuck In The Middle and Bunk’d, the network announced Thursday. 

Season two of Stuck In The Middle, which stars Jenna Ortega as the middle child of seven brothers and sisters with distinctive personalities and conflicting schedules, will premiere Sept. 15, according to network officials. 

Bunk’d – a spinoff of network series Jesse that follows siblings as they spend another summer at a rustic camp in Maine – will return for a third season in 2018.

In addition, Disney XD has renewed its hidden-camera prank series Walk The Prank for a third season, said network officials.

The second half of Greenleaf’s season two starts up on OWN Aug. 15, and creator Craig Wright promises explosives for the Memphis megachurch. The first half set up serious conflicts — between Grace and Mac, and Charity and Kevin — and the second half will reveal “the fallout of those explosions,” said Wright.

Oprah Winfrey is an executive producer, and plays blues joint owner Mavis McCready. Wright says Winfrey pushes him to make scenes “rougher and deeper.

“She wants juicy, meaty stuff to play,” he added.

Before the TV work hit, Wright ran a church in St. Paul, Minn. He said Winfrey was keen to explore the goings-on of a megachurch. “I’ve learned to trust Oprah,” he said. “When she says it’s gonna be OK, it’s gonna be OK.”

And DuckTales is gonna be OK on Disney XD. Like the original, the reboot features Scrooge McDuck, grandnephews Huey, Dewey and Louie, and Donald Duck, too. Co-producer Francisco Angones says the ideal Duck-Tales team member balances respect for the show’s heritage and a desire to take it in new directions. “They’re so insanely excited to work on DuckTales,” he said, “and so horribly horrified to mess it up.”

A whiteboard at show headquarters reads, “DuckTales Must Be Great.” Angones mentioned that part of the theme song —about solving a mystery and rewriting history — popped up in his wedding vows.

The voice cast includes Danny Pudi and Bobby Moynihan. The producers promise a lively family comedy. “We make sure we create a feeling in you when you watch that you had when you were a kid,” executive producer Matt Youngberg said.

And the final season of AMC’s Halt and Catch Fire, starting up Aug. 19, may bring viewers back to kidhood too. It depicts the “dawn of search” in the early ’90s, according to creators Christopher Cantwell and Christopher Rogers. “Season four is about the characters arriving at the future they worked very hard to create,” said Rogers. “They’re asking, is this what we hoped for?”

Charlie Collier, AMC and SundanceTV president/general manager, talked about the “rewarding evolution” of Halt from computer drama spec script to critical darling. “It’s something that we’re really proud of,” he said.

The season is full of recognizable early ’90s music, including Hole, Pavement and The Breeders. “They’re songs we both loved as children of the ’80s who reached musical maturity in the ’90s,” Rogers said.

“The Chris’s,” as Collier calls them, don’t know what they’ll do after Halt. For premiere night, they’ll be at the fourth birthday party for Cantwell’s son. With a Justice League theme, the boys will dress up as superheroes, with Cantwell as a villain. A Jedi robe and ski goggles will be part of his costume. “It’s still a work in progress,” Cantwell admitted.

Rogers sees possibilities. “That’s our new show!” he quipped.

Disney Channel’s Decendants 2 ascended to 21 million viewers in Nielsen Live+3ratings, the network reported Wednesday.

The July 21 premiere of the movie, a sequel to Disney’s hit 2015 film, has now reached 8.1 million kids 2-14 and 6.9 million adults 18-49, said network officials.

Descendants 2, which stars Dove Cameron and China Anne McClain, aired simultaneously on Disney Channel, Disney XD, Freeform, Lifetime and Lifetime Movies during its July 21 premiere and drew 13 million viewers across the six networks.

The film garnered 5.3 million viewers in its premiere on Disney Channel, according to Nielsen.

RELATED: MCN Content Spotlight: Descendants 2 (VIDEO)

RELATED: 'Descendants 2' director Kenny Ortega discusses TV musicals 

Friday night's premiere of Disney Channel’s original movie Descendants 2 averaged 13 million viewers across six network airings, according to Nielsen.

The audience for the July 21 premiere of Descendants 2, a sequel to the Disney’s 2015 musical themed movie, represented combined viewers from simultaneous airings of the movie on Disney Channel, Lifetime, Lifetime Movies, ABC, Disney XD and Freeform, said Disney. 

On Disney Channel, Descendants 2 drew 5.3 million viewers, the most watched telecast on the network since Descendants garnered 6.6 million viewers in its July 2015 premiere, according to Nielsen. Descendants 2, which stars Dove Cameron and China Anne McClain, also drew two year highs for the network in kids 2-11 (2.2 million viewers), kids 6-11 (1.8 million) and tweens 9-14 (1.9 million viewers.

Descendants 2 also broke social media records for Disney Channel driving more Video Views (174.1 million), Impressions (90.8 million) and Engagements (14.6 million) than any social campaign in the network's history, reported Disney. 

The July 21 premiere of Disney Channel’s Descendants 2 original movie will be simulcast across five networks, Disney announced Tuesday.

The movie, a sequel to the network’s 2015 Descendants film, will also appear on each network's branded digital and on demand platforms, according to network officials. The networks are: Disney Channel, ABC, Freeform, Disney XD and Lifetime.

The original Descendants, which follows the exploits of the teenage sons and daughters of Disney’s most infamous villains, generated 12.2 million viewers -- the fifth most watched movie in cable TV history. Descendants stars Dove Cameron, Cameron Boyce, Sofia Carson and Booboo Stewart will reprise their lead roles in the sequel, with newcomers China Anne McClain, Thomas Doherty and Dylan Playfair joining the cast for the sequel.

"The passion that fans – across every demographic and geographic landscape – have demonstrated for Descendants rivals anything we've seen since High School Musical, said Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer for Disney Channel Worldwide in a statement. “Sharing the new sequel movie across our far-reaching portfolio of TV networks and digital platforms is something only Disney can do – and we do it proudly."

Disney XD has ordered a second season of its original animated series Ducktales, months in advance of the show’s network premiere.

Ducktales, based on the 1980s animated series of the same name, will premiere later this summer on the boys-targeted network. The series will feature the voices of David Tennant as Scrooge McDuck; Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz and Bobby Moynihan as the voices of Huey, Dewey and Louie, respectively; Kate Micucci as Webby Vanderquack; Beck Bennett as Launchpad McQuack and Toks Olagundoye as Mrs. Beakley.

Ducktales will be executively produced by Matt Matt Youngberg (Ben 10: Omniverse), with Francisco Angones (Wander Over Yonder) serving as story editor and co-producer and Sean Jimenez (Gravity Falls) serving as art director.

“Fans around the world are eager and we're looking forward to introducing viewers to the all-new DuckTales,” said Marc Buhaj, Disney XD senior vice president of programming and general manager in a statement. “This early season two order is a testament to the quality work the creative team, led by Matt and Frank, and the cast are delivering."

Disney Junior Worldwide general manager Nancy Kanter has been promoted to executive vice president of content and creative strategy for Disney Channels Worldwide, said company officials.

In addition to oversight of the toddler-targeted Disney Junior, Kanter’s new duties will include the content creation strategy that guides the development of original live action and animated programming for kids age 6-14 on Disney Channel and Disney X, said Gary Marsh, President and Chief Creative Officer, Disney Channels Worldwide, to whom she will continue to report.

"Nancy is a formidable leader with exceptional creative instincts and a personal passion for great storytelling. Her track record in launching and steering Disney Junior into becoming the number one preschooler-dedicated network is a testament to her relentless focus on excellence," said Marsh. "I look forward to her daily partnership in aligning and guiding the creative strategy and content for our animation and live-action storytelling teams."

Kanter added:"The Disney Channels Worldwide creative teams have consistently set the bar at the highest level when it comes to offering stories and characters that resonate with audiences worldwide and also become cultural icons that endure. I am excited to work with our multi-talented development and production teams and hope to be able to contribute meaningfully to this legacy of extraordinary storytelling."

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Disney XD: The net launched an initiative Feb. 1 that began with the story of acclaimed African-American pilot Charles Alfred “Chief” Anderson Sr., known as the “Father of Black Aviation” for his brave leadership as the chief civilian flight instructor for the Tuskegee Airmen. The story, hosted by Nathaniel Potvin (Disney XD’s MECH-X4), originates from the nonprofit Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum in Compton, Calif., and includes the museum’s founder and executive director, Robin Petgrave; Ted Lumpkin of the 100th Fighter Squadron; and Kimberly Anyadike, the youngest African-American woman to pilot an airplane across the United States.

Nickelodeon: The kids-targeted network is celebrating Black History Month with a series of PSAs honoring influential African-Americans who are making history today. Nick’s original 30-second spots will highlight the accomplishments of Gordon Bellamy, a game and interactive entertainment executive; Elaine Welteroth, editor in chief of Teen Vogue; Misty Copeland, principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre; and Marcus Samuelsson, celebrity chef and restaurateur. The interstitials show how these individuals are breaking boundaries, achieving remarkable success in their respective fields and encouraging kids to make history.

Related > Black History Month: What to Watch

Disney Junior: For younger viewers (age 2-7), Doc McStuffins, the title character from the acclaimed animated series, introduces notable women and men in a series of interstitials launching on Disney Junior Feb. 8. They are: Stephanie R. Grant, a pilot who led the first all-women African-American flight crew to operate a commercial airliner; Disney legend Floyd Norman, who in the 1950s was one of the first African-American animators at Walt Disney Studios; and Dr. Myiesha Taylor, an emergency doctor and founder of the Artemis Medical Society, an organization comprising more than 4,700 women physicians of color from around the world.

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Disney Channel: The Mouse network has created interstitial segments honring notable African-Americans who have influenced and inspired kids and families, including Martin Luther King Jr., former President Barack Obama, Jackie Robinson, Maya Angelou, Ella Fitzgerald, Lee Daniels, Viola Davis and others. Among the featured segments: The story of Descendants star Cameron Boyce and his personal connection to The Clinton 12, the historical African-American teens who in 1956 were first to integrate a public school in the South. Boyce’s grandmother, Jo Ann Allen Boyce, was among The Clinton 12.

Hulu Thursday expanded its kids-targeted content lineup with the acquisition of exclusive subscription video on demand rights to several Disney Channel, Disney Jr. and Disney XD shows.

As part of the deal, Hulu will be the exclusive subscription streaming home for all past seasons of Disney original series K.C. Undercover, as well as Dog With a Blog and Austin & Ally, said Hulu executives.

Also included in the deal were right to Disney XD titles Gravity Falls and Star vs. The Forces of Evil and Disney Junior titles Sheriff Callie’s Wild West and Henry Hugglemonster.

Overall, the deal will bring more than 500 episodes and more than 20 original movies to Hulu from Disney-ABC Television Group's suite of networks, said Hulu. 

Hulu's Disney/ABC Television Group deal follows a March deal with NBCU Television & New Media Distribution group for the streaming rights to the popular, kids-targeted Curious George series. 

"As our biggest content licensing agreement with the Disney brand, this deal further demonstrates our commitment to offering popular, high-quality kids programming on Hulu,” said Craig Erwich, senior vice president and Head of Content for Hulu in a statement. “These new SVOD exclusive Disney titles mark yet another way Hulu is building an irresistible content destination for families.”

Disney XD will look to capitalize on the theatrical success of Big Hero 6 with a series based on the animated film.

The series Big Hero 6 will launch in 2017 and will pick up where the picks up where the feature film left off, continuing the adventures and friendship of 14-year-old tech genius Hiro and his compassionate, cutting-edge robot Baymax, said network officials.

Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley (Kim Possible) are the executive producers for the series, said Disney XD. The series was announced today

"Our colleagues at Walt Disney Animation Studios have created a brilliant new world, inspired by Marvel, with vivid, unique characters,” said Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer, Disney Channels Worldwide in a statement. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to further develop these characters into a world class animated series -- full of fun, action and the kind of endearing storytelling that only Mark, Bob -- and  Baymax -- can deliver."

Disney XD will blend comedic storytelling with hidden camera reality pranks as part of its new series Walk the Prank, the network said Friday

The series, create by Adam Small (MAD TV, Jamie Kennedy Experiment) and Trevor Moore (Whitest Kids U Know), will begin production in January and is scheduled to premiere in 2016. The single-camera series follows a team of practical jokesters who create hilarious over-the-top pranks for an online hidden camera show.

"We are confident that Adam and Trevor will give Disney XD one-of-a-kind storytelling and unscripted surprises with the pranks," said Adam Bonnett, Executive Vice President, Original Programming, Disney Channels Worldwide. "We are lucky to be in business with these creators and ready to 'Walk the Prank' with them!"

Disney XD’s long-running series Phineas and Ferb will come to an end on Friday, June 12, at 9 p.m. The network will air a 73-hour hour marathon of the show leading up to the finale episode, “Last Day of Summer.” 

The series capper, marking its 126th installment, will also be simulcast on the flagship Disney Channel.  

But the finale won’t be the last Ferb fans see of fan favorite character Perry the Platypus. A standalone hour-long special titled The O.W.C.A. Files featuring the animal secret agent debuts in the fall.

Producers Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh are also scheduled to premiere a new Disney XD animated show, Mikey Murphy’s Law, in 2017. The cartoon will be about the great-great-great-great grandson of the Murphy's Law namesake. 

“It's a coup for Disney XD to continue working with this talented duo on their latest creation, Mikey Murphy's Law’” said Marc Buhaj, senior vice president, programming and general manager, Disney XD. "We're looking forward to another great creative partnership."

Disney XD will air prior seasons of the iconic BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who beginning in May, the network announced Wednesday.

Disney XD has acquired the rights to seasons two, three and four of the time travel series starring David Tennant. The network will air the first episode of season two on May 9, with eight additional episodes of the series airing as part of a week-long programming stunt beginning June 13.

The episodes will also be available on the WATCH Disney XD app beginning June 14, said network officials.

“This iconic series features the high-quality, high-stakes action and adventure storytelling that our viewers love,” said Marc Buhaj, Senior Vice President, Programming and General Manager for Disney XD in a statement. “The show headlines one of the most charismatic lead characters in television in the form of the Doctor and showcases a compelling rogues' gallery of villains from around the universe."

Disney is officially letting blockbuster Frozen go onto television. 

The animated movie, which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film in 2014, will premiere on all Disney ABC Television Group networks starting February 2016. 

It will appear on the Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, ABC Family and ABC. 

Disney Channel has greenlit a new comedy series, Best Friends Whenever, the network announced Friday.

The series stars Landry Bender (Disney XD's Crash & Bernstein) and newcomer Lauren Taylor as who when a science experiment goes wrong, become unstuck in time, leaping forward and backward whenever they want – and sometimes even when they don't. The series will debut this Fall, according to Disney.

Michael Kaplan (Dog With A Blog), along Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas (both of Disney XD's Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja) will serve as executive producers, while Shelley Jensen (Austin & Ally, Good Luck Charlie) will direct multiple episodes.

Disney has ordered a reboot of the 1980’s animated series DuckTales for Disney XD, the network said Wednesday.

The series, which features animated characters Scrooge McDuck, his grandnephews Huey, Dewey and Louie, and Donald Duck, will launch on the boys-targeted Disney XD in 2017, said network officials.

Disney Television Animation originally produced 100 episodes of the animated series from 1987-90.  An animated theatrical film, DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp, premiered in 1990.

The original DuckTales is currently available on the Watch Disney Channel TV Everywhere app.

 "DuckTales has a special place in Disney's TV animation history, it drew its inspiration from Disney Legend Carl Barks' comic books and through its storytelling and artistic showmanship, set an enduring standard for animated entertainment that connects with both kids and adults,” said Marc Buhaj, Senior Vice President, Programming and General Manager for Disney XD in a statement. ”Our new series will bring that same energy and adventurous spirit to a new generation."

Disney XD said Future-Worm!, a new short-form animated series from Emmy-winning director Ryan Quincy (South Park, Out There), is coming to the network in short form and as a newly-announced full-length series starting this fall. Quincy, who joined the Disney Television Animation team in 2013, is the executive producer.

Eric Coleman, senior vice president, original series, at Disney Television Animation said in a release: "When we first heard Ryan's pitch, we knew we had something unique. It's your classic 'Boy and His Worm' story, but this worm is from the future…and has a beard. We loved Ryan's original animated shorts so much we greenlit a full series."

To see a video of Future-Worm!, please follow this link.

Future-Worm! follows Danny, an optimistic 12-year-old who creates a time machine lunch box and befriends Future Worm, a fearless worm from the future. They navigate through "space, time and study hall, embarking on adventures and spontaneously making up new ones along the way," the Walt Disney Co. network said. 

Providing the voice of Danny is Andy Milonakis (Kroll Show). Future Worm is voiced by James Adomian (The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson). 

Disney XD has teamed with NBA star LeBron James to produce a series featuring inspiring athlete profiles.

The half-hour, ESPN Films-produced series, Becoming, will premiere on the boys-targeted network later this year and will feature extraordinary stories of athletes from around the world. James, who was featured in the pilot episode of the series that aired on Disney XD this past October, will serve as executive producer of the series, said network officials.

"We are thrilled to continue working with ESPN Films and LeBron James on Becoming,” Marc Buhaj, senior vice president, programming and general manager for Disney XD said in a statement “This unique sports-focused series gives our worldwide audiences the inspiring and entertaining personal stories from some of the biggest athletes in the world."

CNN will chronicle the rise of NBA superstar LeBron James in a special airing next Friday (Oct. 24), network officials said.

The CNN Films special, More Than A Game, takes a look at James’ ascension through his high school career in Ohio and his relationship with his close high school basketball teammates, according to network officials.  

The special comes on the heels of another James documentary airing Oct. 26 on Disney XD. That special, Becoming, also features footage from James’ earliest days in sports.

CNN’s More Than A Game is the third CNN Films Presents broadcast in 2014 following March Of The Penguins and The Imposter.

Disney XD will launch a new animated series based on the popular theatrical movie Guardians of the Galaxy.

The series, will premiere on the Disney service in 2015, will feature the characters introduced in the Marvel Studio film, which generated $323 million at the box office this year.

The series will air as part of the Marvel Universe programming block on the boys-targeted Disney XD.

"The movie and franchise quickly became a worldwide phenomenon,” said Marc Buhaj, Senior Vice President, Programming and General Manager, Disney XD in a statement."We're looking forward to working with the great team at Marvel Television to deliver an engaging animated series that fans can enjoy each week."

Disney XD will debut an original movie this year in next month with Pants On Fire, the network announced Thursday.

The movie, which premieres Nov. 9 and follows a 15-year old boy whose lies suddenly become real, stars Good Luck Charlie's Bradley Steven Perry (pictured), Joshua J. Ballard (Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days) and Tyrel Jackson Williams (Lab Rats), said network officials.

Pants on Fire is directed by Jon Rosenbaum (Austin & Ally) and will be executively produced by Kim Arnott (Radio Rebel). 

The television movie, Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion reaped 6.5 million viewers around the globe for its premieres on Disney Channel and Disney XD.

Among the 2.7 million who saw the Oct. 3 U.S. premiere on Disney Channel at 9 p.m., 1.3 million were kids 2-11, 918,000 kids 6-11, 762,000 boys 2-11 and 527,000 boys 6-11.

Within the target demographic of boys 6-11, the movie scored 52% higher than Disney Channel's year-to-date ratings in that timeslot.

Over the weekend across 16 markets in Europe, Middle East and Africa and Canada, the movie was viewed by an additional3.8 million viewers, 1.8 million of whom were kids and 1.1 million were boys.

Disney XD will encore Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion tonight, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m, and the weekly series will begin Oct. 13

WATCH Disney XD was also available in the U.S. for a wide range of platforms, tallying 75,000 video views since its Sept. 26 debut on the varied devices.

The Lucasfilm Animation production is created by Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg and Carrie Beck, with executive producers, Filoni and Kinberg and Greg Weisman.

Disney Channel will pay tribute to the late actor Robin Williams with weekend airings of the 1992 animated movie Aladdin, the network said.

The movie, in which Williams voiced the character Genie, will air on Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior several times during the weekend, said network officials. Williams died Monday in his North California home at age 63.

 The telecast schedule is for Aladdin is as follows:

Saturday, August 16 (9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel
Sunday, August 17 (11:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney XD
Sunday, August 17 (6:00 p.m., ET/PT) and Monday, August 18 (11:00 a.m., ET/PT) on Disney Junior

Disney XD has ordered 10-episodes of Gaming Show (In My Parents’ Garage) after testing the series by debuting the pilot episode in April. 

The show, which was created through a partnership with Banger Films’ new children’s division B-Minors, focuses on video games and gaming culture. The show follows host Jesse Sukunda and his friends Julia and Ian as they create a web series from Sukunda’s parents’ garage. 

“We’re always trying to find new ways to connect with our audience and the Gaming Show is an inventive way for us to continue that pursuit. After talking to our target audience of boys 6-11, we found Disney XD viewers are passionate about gaming and we knew it was critical to develop a weekly cross-platform series that spoke to kids’ desire to learn more about gaming culture,” said Michael Goldsmith, director, original programming, Disney XD, in a statement. 

Production on the series begins this summer in Toronto, with an expected debut on the network in late fall. The series is executive produced by Scott McFayden and was created by Jesse Shamata.