Entertainment group Walt Disney's Internet arm said on Thursday that it is about to launch a U.K. portal aimed at young adults showcasing its games, films, music, and social-networking assets in one British Web site.
Disney.co.uk, set to officially launch on Monday, follows the launch of a U.S. version earlier this year. Similar Web portal offerings will be launched in Europe.
"We are looking to the continent, not surprisingly, so we will be looking to France, Italy, Germany, and Spain for our next rollouts," said Cindy Rose, who heads Disney's Internet arm in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, as the group unveiled details of the new Web offering on Thursday at a briefing in London.
The Disney site, like its U.S. predecessor, has at its heart a feature called Disney Xtreme Digital, aimed at children, that allows them to customize multimedia content simultaneously while watching and sharing videos, messages, music, and games.
The U.K. Web site will include what Disney describes as "snack-size" movie and television clips, podcasts, and locally produced content alongside archived and new material.
This is part of a strategy to focus developing online communities of fan bases, Rose said.
Disney did not disclose how much it has spent on the portal.
Rose said Disney was looking at a mix of different business models to develop the U.K. Web site, which will carry advertising and sponsorship links, though none of that will be carried on the home page.
She said these business models would include paid-for subscriptions and transaction-based services. The site will offer a shopping section for Disney products from its launch.
The Disney Web site will not initially provide full-length feature films.
"Is it coming? Someday," Rose said.
The launch of Disney's own U.K. portal, rather than seeking to actively take advantage of its brands in tandem with rival entertainment groups, reflects how media companies are trying different approaches to protect and promote their intellectual property in a fragmented market.
British terrestrial broadcasters ITV, BBC Worldwide, and Channel 4 unveiled details last week of a combined on-demand content service next year that will be available on the Web and then ultimately other platforms.
John Smith, CEO of BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the publicly funded broadcaster, said one reason he helped create the service was to try to stop television from facing the same problems as the music industry, following the launch of Apple's iTunes online-music store.
Disney's Rose said the company's management had opted to pursue a focused aggregation strategy at a time, when there was an abundance of digital content available to consumers.
"It doesn't make sense for us to aggregate our content with someone else's brand in a way that means all things to all people," she said.
"There is a lot of noise and clutter in the marketplace. We think it makes sense to invest in our core brands," she added.
©2007 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. CNET , CNET.com , and the CNET logo are registered trademarks of CNET Networks, Inc. Used by permission.
