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Toronto, January 19, 2009 – Astral Media’s Family Channel is enriching its online offering and presence by extending its long-standing relationship with Disney-ABC-ESPN Television to provide users with hit Disney Channel programming on Family’s website, Family.ca. With this deal, Family Channel will feature a selection of top-rated Disney Channel Original Series such as Hannah Montana, The Suite Life On Deck and Wizards of Waverly Place,and internationally popular Disney Channel Original Movies on Family.ca.
This new content complements online offerings from Family’s existing lineup, including Canadian original series, and will be presented on a re-designed broadband player that will provide enhanced functionality for users and new opportunities for promotional partners targeting Family’s coveted demographic of 8-14 year olds.
“The extension of our deal with Disney is a significant achievement for our business as it will enable Family to offer the Disney programming experience to our audience on all relevant platforms – linear, on demand and now online,” said Joe Tedesco, Vice President and General Manager, Family Channel and Playhouse Disney. “The combination of the new online lineup and the re-designed broadband player will make Family.ca a must-visit for kids eager for online content.”
Disney programming will launch online in conjunction with the re-designed broadband player on January 30, 2009, with episodes from top-rated series Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, The Suite Life on Deck and Phineas and Ferb. Family.ca will refresh the broadband player weekly from the robust lineup of hit Disney programming airing on Family Channel including Disney Channel Original Movies. Past examples of these major television events include ratings smash hits High School Musical 2 and Camp Rock.
For promotional partners, Family’s new broadband player offers a new permanent billboard space and video pre-roll. Additional advertising opportunities on Family.ca include section sponsorships, branded online contests, game hosting and creation, surveys, product reviews and banner ads.
With nearly a million unique visitors a month, Family.ca is one of the most popular kids’ sites in Canada. Providing frequently updated, high-quality content, Family.ca is an online destination for kids and families. In addition to its games pages, Family.ca features contests, full-episode streams, video podcasts and program mini-sites, including the Gemini Award® winning mini-site for the Canadian original series Life With Derek.
Family Channel is a premium, commercial-free network offering the best in family television entertainment in 5.8 million homes across Canada. Dedicated to celebrating family life and providing a fun experience for all, Family airs a unique mix of series, movies and specials, with a large portion of programming supplied by Disney. Family Channel also offers Family OnDemand in select areas, a Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) service that provides a minimum of 40 hours of Family Channel and Playhouse Disney programming. Visit us at Family.ca.
Family Channel, an Astral Media Television Network; Astral Media is a leading Canadian media company, active in specialty and pay television, radio, outdoor advertising and iMedia. Astral Media’s solid and dynamic presence in the country’s major markets rests on its commitment to offer a unique combination of high-quality, targeted media for all its audiences.
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For artwork and series information, visit http://tv.astral.com
For additional information please contact:
Scott Campbell at 416 956 8648 or scampbell@tv.astral.com
Please click here to download the complete Press Release