TV channel in Canada (formerly Disney XD and Family CHRGD)
This article is about a Canadian television channel formerly known as Disney XD that is operated by WildBrain and launched on June 1, 2011. For the Canadian television channel that currently uses the Disney XD name, see Disney XD (Canadian TV channel).
The channel first launched on June 1, 2011, under the ownership of Astral Media. It initially operated as a localized version of Disney XD, under license from Disney Channels Worldwide, as a sister network to Family Channel. Following the acquisition of Astral Media by Bell Media, Disney XD was divested to DHX Media (now WildBrain) in 2014.
In 2015, Corus Entertainment acquired the rights to programming from Disney Channel and its siblings (later launching a new Canadian Disney XD channel), resulting in DHX's existing Disney XD channel being rebranded as Family Chrgd (stylized as Family CHRGD)—a brand extension of Family Channel with a similar positioning—in October 2015. The channel adopted its current branding in March 2022.
History
As Disney XD
Disney XD logo used from 2011 to 2015
In April 2009, Astral Media, via its subsidiary The Family Channel Inc., was granted CRTC approval for a new category 2 service under the working name "Family Extreme". The new service would feature "programming from around the world devoted to entertainment, humour, travel, games, science and technology and targeted toward children aged 6 to 17 years and their families".[2] Astral later announced that it would launch a Canadian version of Disney XD on June 1, 2011. Operating under the Family Extreme license, the service expanded upon Family's relationship as a licensee of Disney Channel programming.[3]
In 2012, the channel premiered its first original series, Slugterra. After the Competition Bureau approved Bell Media's takeover of Astral, Bell announced on March 4, 2013, that Disney XD, as well as its sister networks and Astral's French-language MusiquePlus and MusiMax would be divested.[4] On October 27, 2013, the channel premiered its first original movie, Bunks, produced by Fresh TV.[5]
On November 28, 2013, DHX Media announced that it would acquire Disney XD and its sister networks for $170 million.[6][7] The acquisition was approved by the CRTC on July 24, 2014,[8][9] and closed on July 31, 2014.[10]
Family Chrgd logo, which was used from October 9, 2015, to March 1, 2022
On April 16, 2015, it was announced that Corus Entertainment had acquired Canadian rights to Disney Channel's program library; alongside the launch of a Canadian version of Disney Channel, Corus stated that it would launch other "Disney branded kids linear television offerings" in the future, which eventually included a new Disney XD. In anticipation for this transition, DHX concurrently announced that its Disney-branded networks would be rebranded as spin-offs of Family Channel by November 2015, with Disney XD tentatively being rebranded as Family XTRM.[13][14]
On August 20, 2015, DHX announced the fall lineups for its networks, revealing the final branding for Disney XD as Family Chrgd (stylized as Family CHRGD).[15] Its lineup was to feature new seasons of the network's existing original series, in addition to new shows produced by DHX subsidiaries and other studios (such as the aforementioned Fangbone!), as well as new program supply agreements with Mattel,[15] and later in the year, DreamWorks Animation.[16] The re-branding took place on October 9, 2015.[1][13]
On March 1, 2022, Family Chrgd rebranded as WildBrainTV, with no change in programming.[17]
On December 18, 2024, WildBrain announced that it would sell a two-thirds majority stake of its television operations—including WildBrainTV—to IoM Media Ventures, a Halifax-based company founded by former WildBrain CEO Dana Landry.[18]
