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"SOFIA THE FIRST," CABLE TV'S #1 SERIES AMONG KIDS 2-5, EXPANDS TO DAILY TELECAST AND KICKS OFF DISNEY JUNIOR'S "PIRATE AND PRINCESS SUMMER" MULTI-PLATFORM PROGRAMMING EVENT BEGINNING MONDAY, JUNE 10
New Episodes of "Sofia the First" and "Jake and the Never Land Pirates" to Debut Throughout the Summer; WATCH Disney Junior to Premiere Episodes a Week Before They Debut On-Air
Viola Davis, Megan Mullally and Jerry O'Connell Guest Star;
Classic Disney Princess Jasmine Makes Special Appearance on
"Sofia the First"
"Sofia the First," cable TV's #1 series among Kids 2-5, will expand to a daily telecast and kick off Disney Junior's multi-platform "Pirate and Princess Summer" programming event beginning MONDAY, JUNE 10. The series, starring Disney's first little girl princess, will air weekdays at 9:30 a.m. ET/PT and weekends at 8:30 a.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel and weeknights at 7:00 p.m. and weekends 5:30 p.m. on Disney Junior.
All summer long, new episodes of "Sofia the First" and hit series "Jake and the Never Land Pirates" will alternate with Friday premieres FRIDAY, JUNE 14 - FRIDAY, AUGUST 23 on both Disney Channel (9:00 a.m. ET/PT) and Disney Junior (5:00 p.m. ET/PT). Authenticated pay TV subscribers can watch the shows a week in advance on WATCHDisneyJunior.com and via the WATCH Disney Junior apps for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. WATCH Disney Junior delivers a live feed of the network online and to mobile devices, as well as on demand episodes of popular shows. Currently, the service is available on Comcast, Cablevision, Cox Communications, Charter Communications, Midcontinent Communications and AT&T U-verse.
Notable guest stars include Academy Award nominee Viola Davis ("The Help") and Megan Mullally ("Will & Grace") on "Sofia the First," and Jerry O'Connell ("Crossing Jordan") on "Jake and the Never Land Pirates." Classic Disney Princess Jasmine, voiced by Linda Larkin ("Aladdin") and sung by Broadway legend Lea Salonga ("Miss Saigon"), makes her debut appearance on "Sofia the First."
The "Pirate and Princess Summer" event takes place across all Disney Junior digital platforms including Disney Junior On Demand, WATCH Disney Junior and iTunes, as well as an immersive online super-site on DisneyJunior.com featuring new episode specific activities and games to "unlock" each week with a special token showcased during each episode premiere. Beginning Friday, June 14, parents and caregivers can log on to DisneyJunior.com/Summer and upload the photos of their child dressed as a pirate or princess for the chance to be featured as the "Pirate/Princess of the Day" on Disney Junior.
Among the premieres are an episode of "Sofia the First" featuring Princess Jasmine, Friday, June 14 (9:30 a.m. ET/PT); Jerry O'Connell guest starring as a pirate genie in search of a treasure wishing well on "Jake and the Never Land Pirates," Friday, June 14; Jane Kaczmarek and Teri Hatcher recur in the roles Red Jessica and Beatrice Le Beak, respectively on "Jake and the Never Land Pirates," Friday, June 21; Viola Davis guest starring as Sofia's energetic Buttercup troop leader on "Sofia the First," Friday, July 26; and Megan Mullally guest stars as Miss Nettle, a new fairy teacher who Sofia quickly learns is up to no good, on "Sofia the First," Friday, August 23. All airtimes are 9:00 a.m. ET/PT unless otherwise noted.
Also this summer, a full "Sofia the First" product line including apparel, home décor, toys and much more will launch at major retailers nationwide for the first time, along with an expanded product line for "Jake and the Never Land Pirates."
2013 to date, Disney Junior on Disney Channel is pacing for another record year in Total Viewers (1.53 million), Kids 2-5, Girls 2-5 and Women 18-49. The programming block is home to 3 of the Top 4 cable TV series among preschoolers with "Sofia the First" (#1), "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" (#3) and "Jake and the Never Land Pirates (#4). The 24-hour Disney Junior Channel has been the #1 preschooler TV network each week since becoming publicly reported on April 1, 2013 in Total Viewers (357,000), Kids 2-5, Boys 2-5 and Women 18-49, topping Nick Jr. by double-digits (+12% to +36%) and Sprout by triple-digits (+116% to +158%) in key demos.
Disney Junior reflects the emotional connection generations of consumers have to Disney storytelling and Disney characters, both classic and contemporary. It invites mom and dad to join their child in the Disney experience of magical, musical and heartfelt stories and characters, while incorporating specific learning and development themes designed for kids age 2-7. Disney Junior's series blend Disney's unparalleled storytelling and characters kids love deeply with learning, including early math, language skills, healthy eating and lifestyles, and social skills. Disney Junior launched in February 2011 with a daily programming block on Disney Channel. In its first year, Disney Junior posted the network's biggest yearly audience in the daypart in Total Viewers, Kids 2-5, Boys 2-5 and Women 18-49, increasing by double-digit margins among preschooler demographics over year-ago levels. On March 23, 2012 Disney Junior added a cable and satellite channel in the U.S. Disney Junior channels in Japan, India and Disney Junior Portugal launched in fall 2012, bringing the total number of channels to 33 worldwide.
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