Selena Gomez Marks the Launch of Disney Channel HD

LONDON, July 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- Wizards of Waverly Place Star Performs Exclusive Music gig for Disney Channel HD
Selena Gomez, teen starlet of Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place and pop princess, today (6th July 2011) celebrated the launch of Disney Channel HD by performing an intimate gig at a London venue that was filmed exclusively for Disney Pop Stop*, brand new music shorts, which will premiere on the new HD channel.

The award-winning number one kids' channel for children 6 to 14 is set to launch in stunning high-definition on Sky from 16th September 2011, strengthening the HD offering across Disney Channels UK.

Selena Gomez, renowned worldwide for her role as Alex Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place, and her music success, helped Disney Channels celebrate the news at its Summer & Autumn 2011 Media Showcase where she performed hit song Who Says and new single Love You Like A Love Song. The teen sensation is currently in the UK with her band The Scene to promote their third album, When The Sun Goes Down, which was released on 4th July, and season 4 of Wizards of Waverly Place.

A high-definition simulcast of Disney Channel will be available on the Sky platform from 16th September throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland, bolstering the HD proposition for the Disney Channel multiplex, which launched Disney XD HD in October 2010 and Disney Cinemagic HD in December 2008.

Disney Channel's new music filled shorts, Disney Pop Stop, will focus on a different artist each episode, whilst giving fans the lowdown on their music stars and an insight into their musical influences along with an exclusive performance.

Disney Channel HD will premiere high definition versions of its most popular live-action and animation programmes including Good Luck Charlie, Shake It Up and Fish Hooks, as well as its tailor-made movies like the soon to air Lemonade Mouth, which has taken the U.S. by storm.

Boel Ferguson, General Manager, Disney Channels UK & Ireland who announced the news at the Disney Channels' Summer & Autumn 2011 Media Showcase says: "HD is the ultimate standard for broadcasting and we are now bringing the excitement of HD to Disney Channel, the number one pay TV kids' channel in the UK. We are delighted to be able to announce this news with the channel's biggest star, Selena Gomez, and look forward to kids across the country tuning in to our strongest ever line up of new programming."

Hilary Perchard, Director of Product Management, BSkyB, adds: "We already offer our customers the choice of more than 50 HD channels - by far the best selection in the UK - and are pleased that we'll soon be adding Disney Channel HD to that list. It is a brand that resonates with parents and kids alike, and now Sky customers can look forward to enjoying all these great shows in stunning high-definition."

Core programmes such as Good Luck Charlie and Shake It Up have fuelled Disney Channel's success, rapidly becoming staple favourites alongside more established hit shows such as The Suite Life On Deck and Hannah Montana's final episode, which reached an average audience of over half a million kids. Since the premiere of the fourth season on 25th April 2011, Wizards of Waverley Place has reached over four million people, with its premiere episode pulling in over 400,000 viewers.

*Disney Pop Stop is currently a working title