Jetix

Jetix (stylized in all caps) was a children's entertainment brand owned by The Walt Disney Company. The brand was for a slate of action and adventure-related programming blocks and television channels. Jetix programming mainly originated from the Saban Entertainment library, airing live-action and animated series with some original programming. The channel's target audience was older children and adolescents aged 8–15.

Jetix was first launched as a programming block in the United States on Toon Disney on 14 February 2004, to compete with Cartoon Network's Toonami block,<ref name="amag" /> and in Europe in April 2004.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> By the end of 2004, Jetix began completely replacing the international Fox Kids channels around the world, the first being the French version in August 2004,<ref name="brcl2">campaignlive.co.uk. (20 August 2004) Fox Kids Europe becomes Jetix to appeal to boys. Brand Republic.</ref> and the last one being the German version, in June 2005.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="ru">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Although it was commercially successful, the Jetix brand was later discontinued in 2009. All international channels were rebranded as either Disney XD or Disney Channel due to The Walt Disney Company's focus on its existing television brands. The last Jetix channel to shutdown was Jetix channel in Russia (replaced with Disney Channel Russia) on 10 August 2010, and was fully discontinued with the shutdown of Jetix Play in the Middle East on 1 September 2010, which was replaced with Playhouse Disney, later Disney Junior.<ref name="ru" />

History

Development of the Jetix brand and launch in the United States

In January 2004, Fox Kids Europe, Fox Kids Latin America (both of which were purchased by Disney in 2001 as part of Fox Family Worldwide) and the ABC Cable Networks Group agreed to rename its then current operations under a single brand, called Jetix,<ref name="Edmunds">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> which helped strengthen its then operations into a single force. The Jetix name was applied to its programming blocks which aired on ABC Family and Toon Disney, its television channels in Europe and Latin America, along with its program library and merchandising.<ref name="Edmunds" /> After Fox Kids closed in the US, much of the content previously aired on the block moved to ABC Family and Toon Disney; the international Fox Kids networks kept operating despite their US forerunner becoming defunct.

The Jetix name was chosen after the company conducted international research specifically with a number of children's focus groups. Many of the children chose the name as it implied action and adventure, and the company was able to use the name internationally due to its ambiguity. Bruce Steinberg, chairman and chief executive officer of Fox Kids Europe, explain that Jetix would help strengthen Fox Kids Europe's partnership with Disney while building new alliances to continue to successfully leverage its programming library and distribution.<ref name=ds>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 14 February 2004, Toon Disney and ABC Family launched Jetix with Jetix Cards Live, the world's first concurrently online and telecast trading card game.<ref name=amag>Template:Cite news</ref> ABC Family aired Jetix on weekdays from 7am to 9am and weekends 7am to 12 noon ET/PT. The block also aired on Toon Disney on both weekdays (Monday-Thursday) and weekends from 7pm to 9pm ET/PT.<ref name="mcn">Template:Cite news</ref>

International expansion and transition of the Fox Kids brand into Jetix

Outside of the United States, Jetix was first launched as a programming block on the European Fox Kids channels in April 2004,<ref name=":0" /> airing in mornings and afternoons.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The transition of Fox Kids networks into Jetix started in August 2004 with the French version's rebranding,<ref name="brcl2" /> which was followed by the Latin American version later in the month.<ref name=":1" /> The transitioning continued throughout 2004 and 2005 with the rebranding of the Scandinavian version in October 2004, versions in most European territories in January 2005, the Netherlands in February, and Italy and Israel in March. The transition was completed in June 2005 when the final Fox Kids network in Germany was rebranded as Jetix.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The Fox Kids Play channels available in CEE and MENA (which primarily aired archive programming from Saban, Fox Kids, and Jetix archives, including some DiC Entertainment shows) were rebranded as Jetix Play, on 1 January 2005.<ref name="poland" />

The Jetix brand unified the children's programming department at ABC's domestic cable networks, as well as Fox Kids in Europe and Latin America, in a joint programming alliance. The first Jetix Europe co-productions were W.I.T.C.H. and Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!, with Get Ed and Yin Yang Yo! following in 2005 and 2006 respectively.

Rebrand as Disney XD in the US and international discontinuation

In Fall 2006, Toon Disney in the United States became the exclusive home for Jetix, effectively ending the block on ABC Family.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Jetix programming block took up most of Toon Disney's airtime, taking 12 hours on weekdays and 19 hours on weekends, until the network was replaced by Disney XD in the United States on 13 February 2009.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Disney XD was to be slightly different from Jetix; it still mostly focused on the boy demographic, but would include more live-action productions under the Disney banner and also be a home for Disney's recent animated productions (for both boys and girls), effectively superseding Toon Disney in the United States. The new brand was to be "aimed at boys ages 6–14 and features content focusing on the themes of adventure, accomplishment, gaming, music and sports."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On 8 December 2008, two months before the U.S. launch of Disney XD, Disney announced that it would be increasing its shares in Jetix Europe to 96% with the intention to buy the remaining shares in the company, effectively ending Jetix Europe's autonomy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Disney wanted full control of the company and to bring the European Jetix channels completely under the Disney umbrella, enabling Disney to have a singular unified strategy for its channels. After the completion of Jetix Europe's share buy-back offer, Jetix Europe was delisted from the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange on 27 February 2009.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the discontinuation of the Jetix brand, Jetix Europe's CEO Paul Taylor resigned, with John Hardie, the Executive Vice President of Disney Channels EMEA as CEO on 11 February 2009. John Hardie left Disney for ITN in June 2009 and was replaced with Giorgio Stock (who later became head of Turner Broadcasting System Europe).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In June 2008, Disney France announced that Disney Channel and Jetix would merge operations; at the time, Jetix was being affected by falling carriage rates and came close to being removed from the CanalSat television provider in France after protracted negotiations. Jetix France was the first European version of Jetix to make the conversion to Disney XD on 1 April 2009.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Jetix became Disney Channel in countries where it was not already available (most notably the Central Eastern Europe and the Hungarian, Czech, Slovakian, Romanian, and Israeli feeds). The last main Jetix feed in operation, Jetix Russia, was rebranded to Disney Channel on 10 August 2010. Also, in the countries where Jetix Play broadcast, it became a localised version of Playhouse Disney; however, the rollout was not synchronized with the conversion of the main Jetix networks in these areas, instead happening between 2010 and 2011, one region at a time.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="poland" />

In Italy, the managing director of Jetix Italy, Francesco Nespega, led a management buyout; Jetix Italy was renamed as Switchover Media and was now responsible for two channels that were previously operated by Jetix Italy, cable television channel GXT and free-to-air channel K2 (as of 2024, they are operated by Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA). However, the main Jetix Italy channel remained at Disney and was rebranded as Disney XD in September 2009.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

List of versions

{{#invoke:Hatnote|hatnote}}{{#ifeq:||}}

Market	Type	Formerly	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Replacement	Replaced date
Canada	Block on Family Channel	Power Box	Template:Dts<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || discontinuedTemplate:Citation needed || Template:Dts
United States	Block on ABC Family mornings	Unnamed children's action/adventure block (common name: ABC Family Action Block)	Template:Dts<ref name=amag/>	Discontinued	Fall Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	Block on Toon Disney prime time	None	Template:Dts<ref name=amag/>	Merged with Toon Disney to become Disney XD	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Italy	Channel		(April 2000)<ref name=jxe2008/> Template:Dts<ref name=jefr05/>	Disney XD	Template:Dts<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Latin America		Fox Kids	(November 1996<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>) Template:Dts<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref>		Template:Dts<ref name=anmtv>Template:Cite news Translation.</ref>
Japan	Block on Toon Disney Japan	None	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>		Template:Dts<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
India	Block on Toon Disney India (English)		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2007<ref name=":3" />
	Block on STAR One 7 to 8 pm Saturday and Sunday (Hindi)		Template:Dts<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	None	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Channel<ref name=":3" />	Toon Disney India	2007<ref name=":3" />	Disney XD India<ref name=":3" />	14 November 2009<ref name=":3" />
Central and Eastern Europe	Channel	Fox Kids	(Template:Dts) Template:Dts<ref name=jefr05/>	Disney Channel	Template:Dts<ref name=cce>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
United Kingdom and Ireland			citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>) Template:Dts<ref name=ds/> || Disney XD || Template:Dts fall<ref name=ds0>Template:Cite news</ref>
	Block on Fox Kids		Template:Dts<ref name=ds0/>	Jetix	Template:Dts<ref name=ds/>
Netherlands	Channel		Template:Dts<ref name=jefr05/>	Disney XD	Template:Dts<ref name=bbtn>Template:Cite news</ref>
France			(November 1997) Template:Dts<ref name="brcl2"/>		Template:Dts<ref name="Disney XD">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Poland			(18 April 1998<ref name=sd>Template:Cite news</ref> ) Template:Dts<ref name=jefr05/>		18 Template:Dts<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Block on Polsat		(May 1998<ref name=awm/>)	None	Discontinued
Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia	Channel		(September 2000) Template:Dts<ref name=jefr05/>	Disney Channel (Hungary), Disney Channel (Czech Republic), Disney Channel Slovakia	Template:Dts<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Block on Fox Kids		Template:Dts	None	Template:Dts
Hungary	Block on TV2	None	citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref>) || rowspan="2" |Discontinued
	Block on Magyar TV		(2000<ref name=fke00/>)
Australia	Block on Disney Channel		Template:Dts Template:Citation needed		March 2009 Template:Citation needed
Scandinavia	Block	Fox Kids	(May 1998<ref name=awm>Template:Cite news</ref>)	None	Template:Dts Template:Citation needed
	Channel		(12 February 1998<ref name=sd/>) Template:Dts<ref name=jefr05>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || Disney XD || Template:Dts<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Spain	Block on Minimax		(May 1998<ref name=awm/>)	None	Discontinued
	Channel		(15 November 1998) Template:Dts<ref name=jefr05/>	Disney XD	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
South Korea	Block, weekdays on CHAMP	None	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	None	Template:Dts Template:Citation needed
Germany	Channel	Fox Kids	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> || Disney XD || Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	30 minute block on Saturday mornings on Kabel 1	None	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	None	Discontinued
Turkey, Middle East and North Africa	Channel	Fox Kids	November 2000<ref name=fke01/>(Fox Kids); Template:Dts<ref name=jefr05/> (Jetix)	Disney XD	Template:Dts<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Turkey	Block on Show TV	None	(2000)<ref name=fke00>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || rowspan="2" | None || rowspan="2" |Discontinued
Bulgaria	Block on Balkan News
	Channel	Fox Kids	2003	Disney Channel	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Israel			(February 2001)<ref name=fke01/> Template:Dts<ref name=jefr05/>	Disney Channel	Template:Dts<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Greece			(October 2001) Template:Dts<ref name=jefr05/>	Disney XD (Greece)	Template:Dts<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Russia	Channel and block on REN TV channel		(1 April 1999, channel; 2001 block)<ref name=JEAR04/> 2005	Disney Channel (Russia)	Template:Dts<ref name="ru"/>
Vietnam	Block on VTV	None	Template:Dts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Discontinued	2009
Kazakhstan	Block on KTK		2006<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Other versions

Market	Name	Type	Formerly	Launch date<ref name="jxe2008" />	Replacement	Replaced date
Central and Eastern Europe	Jetix Play	Channel	Fox Kids Play	Template:Dts<ref name="jxe2008" />	Playhouse Disney	1 August 2010 (almost all countries, excepting Romania) 12 March 2011 (Romania)
India	Jetix Action Station	Block on Toon Disney weekdays (Tamil, Telugu and English)	None	December 2004<ref name="itv">Template:Cite news</ref>	Disney XD	Template:Dts<ref name="itv0">Template:Cite news</ref>
Italy	GXT	Channel		Template:Dts<ref name=ks>Template:Cite news</ref>	Sold	Template:Dts<ref name=dte>Template:Cite news</ref>
	K2	Syndicated block / channel	Fox Kids	2002<ref name="JEAR04" />/Template:Dts<ref name=eoe>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation			CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Poland	Jetix Play	Channel	Fox Kids Play	Template:Dts	Playhouse Disney	Template:Dts<ref name=poland>Template:Cite news</ref>
Greece						Template:Dts
Turkey and MENA Region				Template:DtsTemplate:When		Template:Dts<ref name=coe1>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
United Kingdom				Template:Dts	Discontinued	Template:Dts<ref name="coe1" />
	Jetix +1	Timeshift service	Fox Kids +	Same as Jetix UK	Disney XD +1	Same as Jetix UK
Russia	Jetix Play	Channel	None		Discontinued	Template:Dts<ref name="coe1" />
Spain	Jetix Max	Block on Jetix early evening weekday<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	+1	Timeshift service		June 2006	Disney XD +1	Same as Jetix Spain
Central and Eastern Europe	Jetix Max	Block on Jetix<ref name=lb>Template:Cite news</ref>

Programming

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

Jetix was primarily created through Disney's ownership of the Saban Entertainment library (acquired along with ABC Family Worldwide in 2001), which included shows from Marvel Productions; action-adventure shows were the primary programming theme, though not all Jetix networks and blocks were necessarily limited to that genre. Furthermore, programming from outside producers and distributors were also included.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Jetix Animation Concepts was a brand by Walt Disney Television Animation used for animation co-produced by and for the Jetix global group by the ABC Cable Networks Group.<ref name="brcl2"/>

Magazine and other ventures

As part of brand extension, many of the overseas Jetix networks engaged in various marketing exercises, including print publications, awards shows and sporting events.

In the U.K., Future plc published the official Jetix Magazine; it was launched in early September 2004 by Jetix Consumer Products and Future Publishing.<ref name="br" /> Cavan Scott was the magazine's initial editor.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Published every four weeks, it featured puzzles and features based on the channel's shows. The magazine also came with a free DVD featuring shows from the channel.<ref name=br>Template:Cite news</ref>

In other countries, including Bulgaria, the Netherlands,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Romania, similar Jetix magazines were also produced.

With the purchase of the remaining Jetix Europe shares by The Walt Disney Company and the change over of the channels to a Disney branded channel, Future renamed the magazine to Nitro!, to become an independent magazine with the same general focus.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In CEE, there was annual children's awards show called Jetix Kids Awards, in which children could vote their favorite shows and stars, in order to win prizes. The last edition took place in 2008.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref>

The Jetix Kids Cup (formerly known as the Fox Kids Cup<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>) was an association football tournament in which children from 16 countries competed to "promote fair play, sportsmanship and cultural exchange".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

See also

• List of Disney TV programming blocks
• List of programs broadcast by Disney XD
• List of programs broadcast by Toon Disney
• List of programs broadcast by Fox Kids

External links

• jetix.net at archive.org, 20 July 2004
• jetixkidscup.com at archive.org, 16 May 2006
• Jetix Europe at archive.org, 14 March 2018
• Jetix Magazine UK content