Walt Disney Company continues its strategic shift away from traditional television, announcing the closure of several linear channels in Brazil. Effective February 28th, 2025, the following channels will cease broadcasting in the region:
- Disney Channel
- National Geographic
- Star Channel
- FX
This move follows a pattern established by Disney in recent years, with similar channel closures in countries like Australia, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Just recently, Disney announced the closure of the Disney Channel in Spain and the removal of certain channels from Canal+ in France.
ESPN Remains Untouched
While entertainment and factual channels are being shuttered, Disney has confirmed that its ESPN sports channels will remain operational in Brazil and across Latin America. This suggests a strategic focus on retaining live sports programming, which continues to draw significant audiences to traditional television.
Shifting Focus to Streaming
Disney attributes these closures to the “transformations in the local media and entertainment landscape,” emphasizing its commitment to adapting to evolving consumer preferences. The company encourages viewers to access its content through the Disney+ streaming service, although it acknowledges that not all programming from the discontinued linear channels is currently available on the platform.
This latest closure follows a previous round of channel shutdowns in Latin America in 2022, which saw the demise of Star Premium, Disney XD, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Kids, FX Movies, and Star Life. Earlier this year, Disney also restructured its streaming offerings in the region, merging Star+ into Disney+ to consolidate its general entertainment and sports content.
Disney’s ongoing channel closures reflect a broader industry trend as streaming services continue to disrupt the traditional television model. While linear channels may still hold value for certain types of programming, particularly live events like sports, their long-term viability remains uncertain in the face of evolving viewer habits and the rise of on-demand entertainment.