Al Jazeera, Disney ally in Mid East

Al Jazeera Children’s Channel (JCC) has picked up multiple Disney Channel titles, including the animated series Phineas and Ferb, Kim Possible and Lilo and Stitch.

Phineas and Pherb

Also included in the deal, described as a “content transformation” by JCC, are preschool series Handy Manny, Little Einsteins and Jojo’s Circus.

All series will be dubbed into Arabic and will roll out in the coming months.

Didier Vanneste, Walt Disney country manager in the Middle East and North Africa, said: “We continually look for opportunities to bring our hit stories and beloved characters to wider local audiences.”

JCC’s board member and acting executive general manager, Haya bint Khalifa Al Nassr, said: “In line with our child-centric strategy, we will continue to address the needs of Arab children and households by creating or acquiring content that is entertaining, culturally appropriate and supports their learning and development.”

JCC will also air animated films from Disney/Pixar including A Bug’s Life, Toy Story and Cars, among others.

In November last year, JCC acquired more than 180 hours of kids content from BBC Worldwide.