• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, February 13, 2009

Disney today unveils a companion Web site for its new Disney XD cable television channel, also launching today, aimed at boys ages 6-14.

 

The online and TV properties are part of a wider effort spanning mobile and video-on-demand to spread and reinforce the edgier-sounding XD brand across media. Content and advertising on DisneyXD.com will be tightly integrated with the network and focus on games, sports and video.

"We're trying to create an experience where it doesn't feel like one platform is leading the other," said Paul Yanover, executive vice president and general manager for Disney Online, which also encompasses Disney.com and other sites. Gaming is the dominant theme of DisneyXD.com, which will offer some 50 action and adventure titles aimed at tween boys.

The site features games based on Disney XD series such as "Aaron Stone," a live-action show about a video game whiz who leads a double life as a crime-fighter; the animated "Phineas and Ferb" and "Kid v. Kat," as well as popular games from around the Web. It also hosts a broader, ongoing competition in which users earn points and win virtual prizes by playing games and completing various online challenges.

Kids select a customized 3D avatar and track their scores and other player profiles on its densely-loaded games page. Weaved in will be further online-offline tie-ins such as TV-branded virtual items and 60-second segments on the Disney XD channel spotlighting high-scoring players.

DisneyXD.com's video programming will encompass full-length episodes of network programs, sports content via sister network ESPN and original online material linked to Disney movies or TV properties. Mobile users will also be able to access XD content including games, video and wallpapers and ringtones through a text message short code.

Advertising on the site will run from standard display units to in-stream video advertising to sponsorships and other marketing initiatives. Advertisers on board at launch, both online and on-air, include Lego, Pokemon and General Mills.

With the new XD site, Disney is hoping to build on the growth of Disney Online, which drew about 30 million unique visitors in December--up from about 26 million a year ago, according to comScore. But with the audience for the flagship Disney site and cable channel skewing toward girls, the entertainment giant last year announced plans to introduce the XD brand targeting boys.

Disney Online executives say they are not concerned about XT cannibalizing Disney Online traffic since the sites will share some content, such as games, and both properties are ultimately under the same roof. "It's all Disney," said Yanover.