Das Vierte (English: The Fourth) was a German entertainment channel replaced in January 2014 by Disney Channel.
History
Das Vierte was launched by NBC Universal Global Networks (NUGN) in 2005 as an all-drama programming channel. The channel reached its 1% first-year goal with the expectations of doubling in two to three years. In 2008, NUGN sold the station to Mini Movie International Channel,[2] owned by Dmitri Lesnevsky, as the station was losing money. Lesnevsky expected to turn the station around through rebranding then reselling it. In 2010, Phoenix Media planned to buy the station but that fell through.
As of 2011, the station had a market share of 0.2%.
In September 2012, The Walt Disney Company announced a deal to purchase Das Vierte.[3] Disney closed on the deal by December 2012. In April 2013, Disney announced that Das Vierte would close to re-launch Disney Channel