Disney Channel Marks 40 Years With Celebration

'High School Musical: The Musical: The Series'
(Image credit: Disney Plus/Craig Sjodin)

Disney Channel turned 40 April 18, and is celebrating the anniversary with an animated tribute video from Chibi Tiny Tales on YouTube, featuring characters from throughout Disney Channel’s history, and throwback posts across Disney Channel’s social media platforms. Those will happen all month. 

Fans can also tune into Disney Channel’s YouTube channel, where full Disney Channel episodes, old and new, and 40 of them, fittingly enough, are live-streamed through the end of April. 

“For four decades, Disney Channel has been home to some of the most iconic and beloved stories in the Disney portfolio,” said Ayo Davis, President, Disney Branded Television. “We are thrilled to celebrate this momentous anniversary with our incredible talent past and present, our gifted creative partners, and most importantly, with you -- our passionate and loyal fans around the world.”  

The network launched as The Disney Channel and now goes by Disney Channel. 

Disney Channel shows and movies have included High School Musical, Hannah Montana, Lizzie McGuire, That’s So Raven, Wizards of Waverly Place, Phineas and Ferb, Kim Possible, Gravity Falls and The Proud Family.  

“When Disney Channel launched it brought the magic of Disney storytelling into people’s homes for the first time on a daily basis, and over the years it served as the most easily accessible and constant cultural touchpoint into the Disney brand,” said Debra OConnell, president, Networks & Television Business Operations, Disney Entertainment. “Before they ever went to a Disney movie or hugged a beloved character at the Parks, many generations of people met their heroes for the first time on Disney Channel. That is a relationship that we cherish across the company today and is still unparalleled across the industry.”   

Michael Malone

Michael Malone is content director at B+C and Multichannel News. He joined B+C in 2005 and has covered network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television, including writing the "Local News Close-Up" market profiles. He also hosted the podcasts "Busted Pilot" and "Series Business." His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Boston Globe and New York magazine.