Disneynature's OCEANS Among Films to Premiere on Animal Channel

Animal Planet today announced that it has licensed the network television premieres of Disneynature's OCEANS, AFRICAN CATS and THE CRIMSON WING: MYSTERY OF THE FLAMINGOS from Disney-ABC Domestic Television. The network will premiere OCEANS in third quarter of 2012, followed by THE CRIMSON WING: MYSTERY OF THE FLAMINGOS in fourth quarter of 2012 and AFRICAN CATS in third quarter of 2013.

"Animal Planet is known for its epic nature films, and we continue to produce and look to license quality programming in this genre," says Rick Holzman, senior vice president of programming and scheduling at Animal Planet.

Nearly three-quarters of the Earth's surface is covered by water and Disneynature's OCEANS boldly chronicles the mysteries that lie beneath. Narrated by Pierce Brosnan, OCEANS dives deep into the very waters that sustain all of mankind - exploring the harsh reality and the amazing creatures that live within. Featuring spectacular never-before-seen imagery captured by the latest underwater technologies, OCEANS offers an unprecedented look beneath the sea.

From the depths of the ocean to Northern Tanzania, Disneynature's THE CRIMSON WING: MYSTERY OF THE FLAMINGOS offers a birds-eye view into one of nature's last great mysteries - the rarely documented life of the majestic, crimson-winged flamingo. Set in the dramatic, never-before-filmed backdrop of Lake Natron, THE CRIMSON WING: MYSTERY OF THE FLAMINGOS is a tale of love, courage and survival, chronicling the visually stunning and extraordinary journey of these magnificent birds by focusing on a single chick's struggle to make it to the next phase in life.

In AFRICAN CATS, another story from Africa's savanna, big cats rule the grasslands in an epic true story set against the backdrop of one of the wildest places on Earth. Narrated by Oscar(R)-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson, the story features Mara, an endearing lion cub who strives to grow up with her mother's strength, spirit and wisdom; Sita, a fearless cheetah and single mother of five mischievous newborns; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a rival lion and his sons. Blending family bonds with the power and unpredictable nature of the wild, AFRICAN CATS captures the love, humor and determination of these majestic kings.

About Animal Planet:

Animal Planet Media (APM), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment, information and enrichment. APM consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 96 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.

About Disneynature:

Disneynature was launched on Earth Day 2008 with the mission of bringing the world's top nature filmmakers together to share a wide variety of wildlife stories on the big screen in order to engage, inspire, and entertain theatrical audiences everywhere. Walt Disney was a pioneer in wildlife filmmaking, producing 13 True-Life Adventure motion pictures between 1948 and 1960, which earned eight Academy Awards(R). The first three Disneynature films - Earth, Oceans, and African Cats - are three of the top four highest overall grossing feature-length nature films to date, with Earth garnering a record-breaking opening weekend for the genre.

Conservation has been a key pillar of the label, and Disneynature films empower the audience to help make a difference. Through donations tied to opening week attendance for the first three films, Disneynature has planted 3 million trees in Brazil's Atlantic Forest, established 40,000 acres of marine protected area in The Bahamas, and protected 65,000 acres of savanna in Kenya. Disneynature's 2012 film Chimpanzee benefits the Jane Goodall Institute.