Today at Disney’s NewFront presentation to potential advertisers, they debuted the Disney Digital Network. This new effort combined Disney, Star Wars, and Maker talent under one umbrella. The digital brands represented will be Oh My Disney, Disney Style, Disney Family and Babble, Maker’s Polaris, and Star Wars.
“With an audience of over one billion highly-engaged followers, the Disney Digital Network is one of the most impactful publishers in digital media,” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media. “This network extends our stories to the platforms Gen Z and Millennial audiences are on every day, with diverse editorial voices that integrate top creators and influencers.”
This news comes after Maker Studios, which Disney acquired in 2014, downsized their creator network while being fully integrated into the Disney fold. Maker also saw the departure of PewDiePie as Disney let him go following anti-semitic content.
Disney promises more cross pollination between Maker talent and Disney content. They point to the casting of Maker talent Alexys Garbielle as the host of the Oh My Disney Show as an example.
Here is a list of the shows that the Disney Digital Network has in the works for 2017.
- Science and Star Wars: An episodic series that explores, explains, and demonstrates the parallels between the science fantasy of Star Wars and the real-world scientific breakthroughs the saga has inspired. The show is hosted by Anthony Carboni with a rotating roster of IBM researchers, scientific experts, guest stars. The series is presented by IBM and delivered exclusively on Facebook via Facebook Anthology.
- Oh My Disney Show, season 2: Comedy, news, trends, and sketches combine in this show built for Disney fans’ feeds.
- Club Mickey Mouse: Club Mickey Mouse is a digital-first variety show that celebrates the original show of yesteryear but brings it into the present-day with a diverse cast of talented young creators. Presented by HP. A Facebook exclusive through Facebook Anthology.
- Disney IRL: Oh My Disney brings iconic animated Disney characters and moments to real life, surprising people on location and our viewers at home.
- COIN: COIN is an animated action-comedy on Polaris with a distinct, game-inspired aesthetic that follows a team of misfits tasked to save their world.
- Disney Design Challenge: Young designers are invited to push the boundaries of their art form to create beautiful, innovative, and memorable works inspired by Disney films. In the first season, students in the fashion design program at Otis College of Art and Design are challenged to create an eight-look clothing line inspired by Disney’s Frozen.
- Disney Magical Starts: This show is for the parents who want to spend more time creating experiences with their kids, but don’t know where to start.