Disney Digital Network Takes Bite out of Food Category

Disney Digital Network is expanding into new areas, including food, where it is launching a new brand Disney Eats.

At its NewFront presentation in New York Tuesday, Disney said it is pairing the digital content creation and programming capabilities of Disney Digital Network with its TV assets including ABC and Freeform, so that advertisers can reach mass audiences across media platforms.

"We know that our clients and advertisers are looking for unique, compelling, brand-safe, and diverse ways to reach audiences at scale,” said Rita Ferro, president, advertising sales and marketing, direct-to-consumer and international, Disney|ABC. 

“The results that Disney Digital Network has generated for advertisers in the last year alone prove that we are delivering on those needs," Ferro added. "Looking at all that our portfolio offers -- the opportunity to align brands with emotionally resonant content, a highly sought-after millennial audience, and mobile-first formats and platforms -- and pair that with our deep insights, brand safety, and broader media mix across our broadcast and cable assets, truly sets us apart from the rest.”

Disney Digital Networks’ new brand, Disney Eats, is aimed at giving millennials a taste of foods inspired by Disney characters and by the Disney theme parks around the world. In addition to videos, the brand will extend to consumer products available at shopDisney.com and the Disney Store.

Disney Easts is working with Tastemade. Disney-themed episodes of Tastemade series including Kitchen Little and Tiny Kitchen will be available on both Disney sites and Tastemade channels.

Disney Digital Networks’ Oh My Disney will also expand via a new free app that will launch this summer. The app will feature social content, short-form videos and podcast that will contain stories about Disney’s history and heritage.

The app will also deliver new inventory and opportunities for advertisers.

The Disney digital slate includes:

Club Mickey Mouse (Oh My Disney) - Club Mickey Mouse returns in a Back-to-School special with new celebrity mentors, dance videos, original music videos, and behind-the-scenes action.

Disney Backstage Podcast (Oh My Disney) - Disney Digital Network’s first podcast series will bring listeners behind the scenes and into the history and heritage of The Walt Disney Company. The first episode will give audiences an inside look at the making of the Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film The Lion King.

Kitchen Little (Disney Eats with Tastemade) - Kids call the shots as they team up with celebrity chefs to recreate Disney-themed recipes in new episodes of the Tastemade series.

Tiny Kitchen (Disney Eats with Tastemade) - Artists will create miniature replicas of the too-good-not-to-eat foods from beloved Disney films.

Must Be Science (Disney Eats with Tastemade) – In this new series, the world of food and science collide as we’ll test our unique Disney food experiments using ingredients you can find in your kitchen.

Designing Disney (Disney Style) - Designing Disney celebrates artists who design, sew, style and create for Disney. Each episode will spotlight a different creator’s craft. Designing Disney is available on Facebook Watch, with new episodes premiering every Wednesday.

Disney Dream Job (Disney Family) - This show follows five children as they work with Disney cast members, from animators to Imagineers. Disney Dream Job will premiere on Facebook Watch and will later live on Disney.com.

Most Extra Parents (Babble) - Most Extra Parents awards and recognizes parents who go the extra mile to make family time a little more special.

Star Wars Season of the Fan - Star Wars Season of the Fan is a cross-network campaign that celebrates the Star Wars fan base through three digital video programs. The campaign will kick off this summer with the new docu-series, Our Star Wars Stories, which highlights impressive feats of fandom. The Star Wars Fan Film Awards will return as the Star Wars Fan Awards with expanded categories recognizing the best fan content in video production, art, costuming, and photography. The winners will be recognized during a special The Star Wars Show live-stream from the Lucasfilm offices in San Francisco.

90 Days of Mickey Mouse - Disney Digital Network will countdown to the 90th anniversary of Mickey Mouse with 90 days of original Mickey themed content. The countdown will feature new show episodes and series from Oh My Disney, Disney Style, and Disney Family.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.