Disney Channel Is Coming to Russia

Mickey Mouse is headed to Russia as the Walt Disney Company makes moves to introduce the Disney Channel to the country.

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The New York Times reports Disney is acquiring 49 percent of SevenTV, a channel that reaches more than three quarters of Russian homes, and will rebrand it as the Disney Channel. American programs such as Mickey Mouse Clubhouse will be aired on the channel alongside Russian-made children's shows.

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The Disney Channel is currently seen in 168 countries and territories and broadcast in 35 languages. But though the company has had a tiny cable channel in Russia for years, it has never had the broad exposure it enjoys with the Disney Channel in other countries, largely because of governmental restrictions on foreign media.

Disney's move to heighten its exposure on Russian TV will give the entertainment company a larger footprint in the country, through which it hopes to drum up increased interest in its movies, theme parks and consumer products. In recent years, Disney has already seen an increase in the ticket sales for its films, notably the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.