Kidscreen has confirmed that Disney Channel is making a linear comeback in Spain just over a year since it stopped broadcasting there.

Starting April 1, the region’s existing Disney Jr. pay-TV service will be rebranded—taking on the Disney Channel name and expanding its target demo up to include six- to 11-year-olds. It will continue airing preschool shows, but only as part of dedicated Disney Jr. programming blocks. 

Before it was shut down, Disney Channel had a long history in Spain, launching in 1998 as a pay-TV channel and eventually going free-to-air in 2008 in a carriage deal with Spanish digital terrestrial television channel operator Net TV. (Disney bought a 20% stake in the company as part of terms.)

But in January 2025, the kidsnet went dark in the region as part of a broader shift to encourage Disney+ as the touchpoint for on-demand programming. Disney Channel Spain signed off with the finale episode of tween series Hannah Montana (pictured), while sister net Disney Jr. Spain continued to operate as usual.

The upcoming relaunch means Disney Channel will go back to being a pay-TV service, suggesting that the Mouse House still sees an opportunity in the region’s linear market to reach bridge and tween audiences. Its main competition is Clan TV (owned by public broadcaster RTVE) and Boing (a joint-venture between Warner Bros. Discovery and Mediaset España), and Disney Channel’s offerings of classic sitcoms and recent hits like Miraculous and Kiff should give it plenty of edge.

A broader audience focus could also yield a much-needed viewership boost for Disney. Local Spanish news outlet El País cites Fifty5Blue data (compiled by Barlovento Comunicación) showing that Disney Jr. only cornered a 0.1% share of the general TV audience in 2025, totaling 5.5 million viewers. Overall, it’s ranked 29th among Spain’s most-watched pay-TV channels.