Has the Disney Channel closed? Why Disney Channel, XD and Junior are no longer on Sky or Virgin - and how to subscribe to Disney +

Disney has closed its kids channels in the UK, with Disney Channel, XD and Junior taken off air at the end of September.

Instead, shows from these channels are now available to watch from their new home on Disney’s new streaming service.

Where can I watch the kids channels?

Disney Channel, XD and Junior were taken off air in September and are now exclusively available to watch on the streaming service Disney+ as of 1 October.

At present the Disney Channel airs a number of popular shows, including Just Roll With It and Sydney To The Max.

Meanwhile, kids can enjoy the likes of Big Hero 6: The Series and Marvel’s Spider-Man series over on XD.

With the Disney Channel now off air, these shows will instead be available to watch on Disney+, while future premieres will only be available exclusively on the streaming service.

Why have the channels been axed?

The change comes after Disney failed to agree on new deals with pay-TV platforms Sky and Virgin.

However, the company’s other brands, including Nat Geo and Fox, will continue to broadcast on television.

A spokesperson for Disney said that the company remains committed to its kids channels business, and has plans to “execute distribution agreements for Disney channels in many markets where Disney+ is also unavailable”.

What is on Disney+?

Disney first launched its streaming service in the United States, Canada and the Netherlands back in November 2019, before expanding to several other countries, arriving in the UK in March this year.

The streaming service gives subscribers access to a huge host of classic television series and original films, primarily produced by Walt Disney Studios and Walt Disney Television.

All-time animated favourites such as Cinderella, Snow White and Bambi can be found on the service, as well as live-action remakes and popular shows including Hannah Montana, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and That’s So Raven.

Alongside this, subscribers also have access to an array of Marvel, Pixar, Fox, National Geographic and Star Wars titles, as all of these companies are owned by Disney.

This means viewers can watch the likes of the Avengers film series, animated classics such as Toy Story, Monsters Inc. and Up, and The Simpsons, among hundreds of others.

How much does it cost?

Much like fellow streaming service Netflix, you don’t have to buy each film or show you watch. Instead, you simply pay a monthly or yearly subscription which will give you access to all of the content on the service, and it is completely ad-free.

A Disney+ subscription is priced at £5.99 per month, or £59.99 per year, and a free seven-day trial is available.

There is also an option to sign up for Premier Access, which grants exclusive access to the new live-action remake of Mulan and you can watch it as many times as you like.

This is priced at £19.99,on top of the regular subscription fee, and allows you to watch the film before its release to all Disney+ subscribers on 4 December 2020.

To sign up, simply visit disneyplus.com.