PRIVET

Disney Channel Conquers Russia

Will introduce original programming.

How do you say hakuna matata in Russian? The Walt Disney Co. said Thursday it is introducing the Disney Channel in the country after it acquired a 49 percent stake in SevenTV, a Russian broadcast channel. SevenTV, which reaches more than 75 percent of the nation’s television households, will be stocked with shows like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (in Russian) as well as original programming. It’s not clear how much Disney is investing in the move. But Russia is one of the world’s biggest untapped entertainment markets. The 2007 movie Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End made $30 million there, while this year’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides more than doubled that, to $64 million.