Jetix (stylized as JETIX) was a children's entertainment brand owned by The Walt Disney Company. The brand was for a slate of action/adventure-related programming blocks and television channels. Jetix programming mainly originated from the Saban Entertainment library, airing live-action and animated series with some original programming. Jetix was first launched as a programming block in the United States on Toon Disney on February 14, 2004, to compete with Cartoon Network's Toonami block, and in Europe in April 2004. By the end of 2004, Jetix began completely replacing the international Fox Kids channels around the world, the first being the French version in August 2004, and the last one being the German version, in June 2005. Although it was commercially successful, the Jetix brand was later discontinued in 2009. All international channels were rebranded as either Disney XD or Disney Channel due to The Walt Disney Company's focus on its "Disney," "ABC," and "ESPN" brands. After the shutdown of the last Jetix channel in Russia (replaced with Disney Channel Russia) on August 10, 2010, and with the shutdown of Jetix Play in the Middle East on September 1, 2010 (which was replaced with Playhouse Disney, later Disney Junior) the Jetix brand officially ceased usage. History The development of the Jetix brand and launch in the United States In January 2004, Fox Kids Europe, Fox Kids Latin America (both of which were purchased by Disney in 2001 as part of Fox Family Worldwide) and the ABC Cable Networks Group agreed to rename its then current operations under a single brand, called Jetix, which helped strengthen its then operations into a single force. The Jetix name was applied to its programming blocks which aired on ABC Family and Toon Disney, its television channels in Europe and Latin America, along with its program library and merchandising. After the end of Fox Kids in the US, much of the content previously aired on the block migrated to ABC Family and Toon Disney; the international Fox Kids networks kept operating despite their US forerunner becoming defunct. The Jetix name was chosen after the company conducted international research specifically with a number of children's focus groups. Many of the children picked the name as it implied action and adventure, and the company was able to use the name internationally due to its ambiguity. Bruce Steinberg, chairman and chief executive officer of Fox Kids Europe, explain that Jetix