Disney Channel Russia stops broadcasting, replaced by local kids’ TV channel

Disney Channel Russia launched in 2010

Disney Channel is to go off air in Russia after 12 years of broadcasting as Russia’s war on Ukraine continues.

The free-to-air network will be replaced by a local channel called Solntse, which means ‘sun’ in Russian, according to Reuters.

It comes after the Mouse House paused business activities in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine in late February.

At the time Disney said some activities, including its linear channels, would take time to wind down “given contractual complexities.”

Disney Channel launched in Russia in 2010 as a pay TV network, before going free-to-air in 2011. Since 2016 it operated as a joint venture with Media-1, which owned an 80% stake in the network.

Disney Channel Russia aired series including Gravity Falls, Star vs the Forces of Evil and DuckTales alongside original productions such as The Great Family Game, This Is My Room and After School.

Media-1 will operate Solntse, which starts broadcast tomorrow morning (December 14) and airs a mix of animated films and TV shows.