"Sofia the First," to debut on Disney on August 24th

The highly anticipated debut of "Sofia the First," a new animated series about Princess Sofia, an adventurous little girl who is learning how to adjust to royal life after her mom marries the king and she becomes a princess overnight, debuts August 24th at 10.00 am on Disney Channel. Created for kids aged 2-7 and their parents and caregivers, "Sofia the First" tells the story of an ordinary girl who becomes a princess and throughout her journey, learns that possessing characteristics of a true princess - honesty, loyalty, compassion and grace - is what makes one truly royal.

Classic Disney Princesses Ariel, Aurora, Belle and Jasmine make special appearances in event episodes throughout the season offering Sofia words of wisdom when she needs them most. Fauna, Flora and Merryweather (the beloved fairies seen in Disney's classic "Sleeping Beauty") are featured as the headmistresses of Sofia's new school, Royal Prep Academy.

“Disney Princesses have always been enchanting and the stories have resonated with kids and their families over the world, creating wonderful memories. We took the legacy forward by introducing the little princess in the movie ‘Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess’ and with its success, launching the series on Disney Channel. The series takes you through her everyday life adventures as Sofia embraces the captivating world of castles, wizards and flying horses while holding on to her own hopes and dreams”, said Devika Prabhu, Director, Programming, Kids Network, Disney UTV.

In the premiere episode, "Just One of the Princes," Sofia strives to become the first princess to earn a spot on her school's flying derby team. Although paired with the overly-anxious horse Minimus, Sofia learns to believe in herself and proves that a princess can do anything she sets her mind to. While she lives in an enchanting fairytale world of castles, wizards and flying horses, Sofia remains a relatable peer-to-peer princess who is experiencing many of the same social situations as young viewers at home, including fitting in at school, building sibling relationships, making new friends, discovering how and when to be brave, learning the importance of telling the truth, and mastering new skills and good sportsmanship. The stories are designed to provide young children with fundamental lessons about developing social and emotional skills to help prepare them for life.

The simulcast of the premiere of the made for television movie "Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess" on Disney Channel, Hungama TV and Disney Junior reached out to more than 4 million audiences (CS 4+) of which 2.3 million were kids (CS 4-14) across All India. Disney Channel ranked #1 across all TV during its time slot garnering a 26% share of viewing within the kids genre among all kids (CS 4-14 ABC) and 36% share of viewing among younger girls (CS ABC F 4-9).

Fuelled by the pre-launch popularity of Sofia, Disney Consumer Products will introduce a line of special Sofia products to enchant Sofia’s fans towards the end of the year.