• by Wayne Friedman , January 9, 2007

Walt Disney Co., which started the trend of TV networks selling programming into digital distribution systems over a year and a half ago, unveiled the next phase of its digital offerings--the long-awaited revamped Disney.com Web site.

Speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas yesterday, Bob Iger, president/CEO of Walt Disney Co., said the new Disney.com will allow users to personalize content--including sharing of videos, TV shows, and other Disney video content as well as listening to music, and playing video games.

Through the new Disney Xtreme Digital area, users can access premium content such as the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean video game set to launch in 2007.

The upgrade of Disney.com has been much-needed, say industry analysts. Despite this, Iger touts Disney.com as the number-one ranked site among kids and families with almost 25 million unique visitors a month--this according to comScore MediaMetrix's data of November 2006.

Disney needs this re-launch, as its biggest concern is the growing presence of young-skewing sites such as MySpace.com which increasingly are getting into Disney's kids' demographic business. Disney is looking for ways to make its Internet areas appealing--perhaps even edgy--while trying not to breach grounds of taste that would affect their family-content status among parents.

The job will be tough, say media industry analysts. They note that children don't go to Disney.com. Instead, it's their parents who go to the Disney Internet destinations.

Children up to age 11 or so are still good consumers of Disney products. The hope is to transfer them to Disney's growing teen-oriented brands, such as those on the Disney Channel. These include series/movies such as "The Cheetah Girls," "That's So Raven," and "Hannah Montana," and the network's biggest hit, "High School Musical."

Late in 2005, Disney became the first network to sell prime-time television shows and movies over Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes Music Store. Since then, virtually all providers of TV programs and content have either made deals with iTunes, or offered up other digital distribution areas to access TV shows.