article is about the 24 7 channel that airs in the united states . for other versions see list of disney junior tv channels . see also playhouse disney . disney junior launched february 14 2011 ; 5 years ago 2011 02 14 as a programming block on disney channel march 23 2012 ; 4 years ago 2012 03 23 as a television channel owned by disney channels worldwide disney abc television group picture format 720p hdtv 480i sdtv slogan where the magic begins country united states united kingdom language english spanish via sap audio track broadcast area nationwide headquarters burbank california formerly called playhouse disney 1997 2011 soapnet 2000 2013 replaced as a network soapnet as a disney channel morning block playhouse disney sister channel s disney channel disney xd freeform abc timeshift service disney junior 1 website disneyjunior.disney.com availability satellite directv 289 hd sd dish network 168 hd sd c band amc 11 channel 44 4dtv digital amc 18 channel 12 h2h 4dtv cable available on most u.s. cable systems consult your local cable provider for channel availability iptv verizon fios 260 sd at & t u verse 306 sd 1306 hd southern fibernet 304 sd 1304 hd google fiber 429 hd sd streaming media sling tv internet protocol television playstation vue internet protocol television disney junior is an american digital cable and satellite television network that is owned by the disney channels worldwide unit of the disney abc television group itself a unit of the disney media networks division of the walt disney company . aimed mainly at children under 8 years of age its programming consists of original first run television series theatrically released and made for dvd movies and select other third party programming . disney junior also lends its name to a morning and early afternoon program block seen on sister network disney channel branded as disney junior on disney channel airing weekdays from 6 00 a.m. to 2 00 p.m. 6 00 to 10 30 a.m. during the summer months and designated school break periods and weekends from 6 00 to 9 00 a.m. eastern and pacific time . a spanish version airs on univision under the name planeta u. as of february 2015 disney junior is available to approximately 74 972 000 households 64.4 % of those with television in the united states . 1 contents 1 history 1.1 origins 1.2 launch 2 television carriage 3 programming 3.1 disney junior night light 4 related services 5 list of international disney junior channels 5.1 former 6 references 7 external links history edit origins edit main article playhouse disney the walt disney company first attempted to launch a 24 hour cable channel for preschoolers in the united states 2 when the company announced plans to launch the playhouse disney channel a television offshoot of disney channel s daytime programming block playhouse disney which debuted on the channel on may 8 1997 airing during the morning hours seven days a week with the monday through friday blocks lasting until the early afternoon . plans for the united states network were ultimately shelved however dedicated playhouse disney channels were launched in other countries internationally . 3 the development of disney junior began on may 26 2010 when disney abc television group announced the launch of the channel as a digital cable and satellite service which would compete with other cable channels targeted primarily at preschool aged children such as nick jr. qubo and pbs kids sprout ; in addition the playhouse disney block on disney channel would also be renamed under the disney junior banner prior to the launch of the channel of the same name . the announcement also called for the 22 existing programming blocks and cable channels outside of the united states bearing the playhouse disney name being rebranded as disney junior . 4 the flagship cable channel in the united states intended to replace soapnet a disney owned cable channel featuring daytime soap operas seen on the major broadcast networks including sister network abc and reruns of former primetime drama series due to the continued decline in popularity and quantity of soap operas on broadcast television along the growth of video on demand services including the online streaming availability for soap operas and digital video recorders that negated the need for a linear channel devoted to the genre . 3 launch edit disney junior first launched as a programming block on the disney channel on valentine s day 2011 . with the discontinuance of playhouse disney the day prior the block s mascots ooh and aah were retired and some older programs were entirely discontinued . 5 the disney junior channel was originally slated to debut in january 2012 but on july 28 2011 the disney abc television group pushed back the launch date from january to an unspecified date in late spring 2012 6 then setting the channel s launch date to february . on january 9 2012 disney abc television group announced that soapnet s shutdown date for most providers was scheduled for march 22 2012 . disney junior s 24 hour cable channel counterpart officially launched the following day on march 23 7 at 12 00 a.m. eastern time with the mickey mouse clubhouse episode mickey s big surprise as the first program to air on the channel . citation needed programming featured on the channel s initial lineup included jake and the never land pirates mickey mouse clubhouse and freshman original series doc mcstuffins ; the channel also launched a new short form series a poem is ... as well as the weekend movie block the magical world of disney junior . 5 though it in effect took over the channel space held by soapnet an automated feed of that channel continued to exist for providers that had not yet reached agreements to carry disney junior similar to other automated channel feeds that continued to operate during the transitions of nickelodeon games and sports for kids to the n now teennick and fox reality channel to nat geo wild or held out so as to not lose subscribers due to the immediate loss of that network . these included some providers such as cox communications cablevision directv verizon fios and time warner cable which continued to carry soapnet while having added the disney junior channel onto their channel lineups in turn . 7 8 soapnet s operations continued sixteen months later than had been originally planned until the network officially shut down on december 31 2013 at 11 59 p.m. eastern time . 9 television carriage edit since its launch disney junior became initially available to subscribers of comcast time warner cable cablevision bright house networks and verizon fios ; 10 other providers would sign carriage agreements to run the network following its launch on march 26 2012 cox communications announced that it would carry disney junior as part of the provider s variety pak package . on april 3 2012 disney abc television group announced that it had reached a distribution agreement with the national cable television cooperative to carry disney junior which was expected to be carried on more than 950 independent cable companies in the 90 days following the agreement . 11 cable one added the network to the digital tier of its systems around may 26 2012 . on june 21 2012 rcn began carrying the network on its systems . on july 13 2012 directv announced that the disney junior network would be added to its lineup the following day on the 14th a saturday . 12 industry observers questioned both the unexpected announcement and untraditional weekend launch of the network as being timed to a nine day carriage dispute between directv and viacom and the loss of nick jr. four days previously as a result of the dispute . 13 on december 31 2012 charter communications came to terms with disney abc television group on a new wide ranging multiple year carriage agreement for abc all of the u.s. based disney channels worldwide and espn networks and abc family which included the addition of disney junior to charter systems throughout the first quarter of 2013 . 14 on january 15 2013 at & t u verse also reached a deal with the walt disney company on a new wide ranging multi year agreement to carry the disney abc television group family of networks and espn which included the addition of disney junior . 15 dish network the last major television provider to have not signed a carriage deal for disney junior added the channel on april 10 2014 ; after a long period of acrimony and a six month extension of their past carriage agreement with the walt disney company for a few select networks some of which were not available in hd partly as a result of a 2011 dispute with the company dish and disney came to full terms on carrying all of disney abc s networks in both standard and high definition on march 3 2014 with the resolution of legal issues involving dish s hopper dvr system which also included streaming rights for the networks as part of dish s iptv streaming service sling tv . 16 programming edit main article list of programs broadcast by disney junior programming on the disney junior channel includes original series such as jake and the never land pirates doc mcstuffins and sofia the first shows formerly seen on the now defunct playhouse disney block such as mickey mouse clubhouse handy manny and special agent oso including some that also air on the companion disney channel morning block and short form series as well as reruns of some older animated series that had previously been seen on sister network abc cbs made prior to 1996 and programs from disney channel and toon disney which are aired by the channel by popular demand especially during the overnight graveyard slots . 17 the network also airs classic animated films that were released theatrically by walt disney studios motion pictures including walt disney pictures and pixar along with disney s direct to video sequels and original preschool projects with movie length features under two brandings the magical world of disney junior on weekends and the more generalized disney junior movie at most other times which features a broader selection of films . disney junior night light edit disney junior night light is the disney junior channel s overnight programming block running daily from 9 00 p.m. to 4 00 a.m. eastern and pacific time . the block which debuted on september 4 2012 and is sponsored by babble under a similar underwriter sponsorship agreement as that regularly used by disney channel which like disney junior operates as a commercial free service consists of short form programs intended for co viewing among parents and their children . features seen as part of the block include picture this which presents sketches of disney characters being drawn dj tales a segment featuring costumed finger puppets with twists on traditional fairy tales and that s fresh a segment featuring cooking tips aimed at parents presented by celebrity chef helen cavallo . additional series under development at the block s launch included a photography series a series that follows parents through the day their new baby comes home after being born and a show about stay at home dads . 18 related services edit service description disney junior hd 19 20 disney junior hd is a high definition simulcast of the disney junior channel that broadcasts in the 720p resolution format the recommended hd format for the disney abc television group s broadcast and cable properties . it launched with the standard definition feed of the channel on march 23 2012 on select time warner cable bright house networks cablevision and verizon fios systems ; the hd feed was later added on comcast . directv began carrying disney junior s hd feed on august 15 2012 . 21 disney junior