Kids
Disney Channel inks pan-European mobile deal with Orange
MUMBAI: The Disney Channel has announced that it has signed its first pan-European deal to provide content to mobile phones. Through an agreement with Orange, the service will be available to customers in the UK, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal, Poland, Holland, Romania, Slovakia and, in time, France.
The service will consist of 65 to 120 minute programming loops featuring some Disney Channel‘s most popular content, including full 22-minute episodes of live-action programming franchises That‘s So Raven and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and animated hits like Kim Possible and Disney‘s Recess. In addition, consumers will be able to watch clips from Hannah Montana and a selection of Disney Channel Original Movies, informs an official release.
Disney Channels, EMEA executive vice president and managing director John Hardie said, “This is a break-through deal which we expect to be a huge hit with kids all over Europe. With parents‘ consent and knowledge, it allows kids to watch their favourite Disney Channel programmes on the way home or wherever they are. It‘s how today‘s kids are growing up to watch TV – at a time and in a place they choose and it‘s important that content providers are able to deliver that.”
In other agreements announced by the two companies, Buena Vista International Television (BVITV), Disney‘s international TV distribution division, and France Telecom-Orange will extend their existing broadband VOD movie licensing agreement in France across other markets in Europe. With these agreements, Orange VOD subscribers in Spain and TPSA VOD subscribers in Poland will be the first to enjoy movies from Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and Miramax Films.
Titles include global box office hit Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man‘s Chest, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and the forthcoming sequel The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian are also included in the agreements.
Orange currently boasts of more than 2.9 million mobile broadband customers. France Telecom Executive Vice President Patricia Langrand said, “The agreement for the mobile services illustrates our desire to develop dedicated formats and programs specifically adapted for our mobile services with prestigious partners. Our agreement with Disney for VOD will enrich the content offer for our on demand services across multiple territories and platforms.”
Kids
Mukta Arts and Green Gold ink MOU to animate iconic film IPs
Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan to spawn animated shows plus features.
MUMBAI: When classic hindi movie meets animation, the result is a fresh reel of nostalgia with a cartoon twist. Mukta Arts Ltd. and Green Gold Animation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on animated shows and feature films drawn from Mukta Arts’ four-decade treasure trove of iconic IPs. The partnership taps Mukta’s SGM Animation Studio launched in 2025 as its dedicated animation and games arm and Green Gold’s proven track record in building scalable, homegrown franchises. Creative teams from both sides have already kicked off discussions, with the first project currently in development.
The slate will draw inspiration from landmark Mukta films including Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Saudagar and Iqbal, plus character-led spin-offs from those universes. The aim is to reimagine these stories for today’s young, global audiences while preserving their emotional core.
Green Gold Animation (home of Chhota Bheem) founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka said, “This partnership with SGM Studios allows us to apply our experience in building long-lasting animation IPs to a truly iconic film catalogue. Together, we aim to create animated worlds that are rooted in these legendary stories, yet designed to connect with today’s young, global audiences.”
Mukta Arts Ltd. filmmaker and founder Subhash Ghai added, “Mukta Arts has always believed in creating stories with lasting emotional value. Through animation, we are extending our IP into a new medium for the next generation.”
In an industry where timeless tales never go out of fashion, this collaboration promises to bring beloved characters back to life with a modern, animated glow proving that some stories are too good to stay in live-action. Stay tuned for the first animated frame to drop.
