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Disney Plans Hours of Commemorative 9/11 Coverage Across ABC, Disney+, Nat Geo, More
Disney will roll out extensive coverage marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, spanning ABC News, National Geographic, Disney+, Hulu, ABC's local stations and ABC News Live. The programming, developed partly in conjunction with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, aims to honour victims, families and first responders while educating a generation with no lived memory of the event, and comes as rival networks including CBS, Fox News, MS NOW and NBC prepare their own commemorative output.
Disney's line-up includes a live national broadcast from ABC News and WABC-TV New York alongside a new original documentary from National Geographic. Disney Entertainment Television chairman Debra OConnell said the coverage aims to preserve stories of "courage, compassion, and resilience" for future generations. The push is partly grounded in research showing around 100 million Americans today have no direct memory of the 2001 attacks, echoing how the original coverage saw broadcasters halt advertising and lose an estimated $320 million, with sensitivities around commemorative programming persisting in the years since.
In short
- Disney to air major 9/11 25th-anniversary coverage across its platforms
- Programming made with input from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum
- Rival networks CBS, Fox News, NBC also planning anniversary specials
Explained simply
On 11 September 2001, hijackers took control of four passenger planes in the United States. Two struck the World Trade Centre in New York, one hit the Pentagon near Washington, and another crashed in Pennsylvania; nearly 3,000 people were killed. The attacks led to major changes in US security and foreign policy.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York commemorates those who died and documents the attacks and their aftermath. Broadcasters mark the anniversary with reporting and programmes about victims, families, survivors and first responders, including for people too young to remember the day.
The 25th anniversary falls in 2026. Disney’s television, streaming and documentary services are among several media groups preparing coverage, reflecting the role broadcasters played in reporting the attacks and the continuing public interest in their history.