DISNEY CHANNEL ORDERS THIRD SEASON OF "AUSTIN & ALLY"

Disney Channel has ordered a third season of "Austin & Ally," TV's #1 comedy series in Kids 2-11, it was announced today by Adam Bonnett, Senior Vice President, Original Programming, Disney Channels Worldwide. The series stars Ross Lynch, Laura Marano, Raini Rodriguez and Calum Worthy. Production resumes in Los Angeles in July, with Season Three scheduled to premiere in October 2013.

Bonnett said: "'Austin & Ally' continues to hit high notes with kids and families, and the new season promises excitement for 'Auslly' fans as Austin's music career kicks into full gear and Ally's begins to take flight. This ensemble cast -- Ross Lynch, Laura Marano, Raini Rodriguez and Calum Worthy -- has incredible comedic chemistry and charm that continues to win audiences over."

A fan favorite, "Austin & Ally" follows the adventures of an improbable pair -- a singer and a songwriter, and their two best friends -- trying to achieve their dreams. Austin, now making his mark as an upcoming pop star, must rely on the songwriting expertise of Ally, who is fast becoming a bona fide performer in her own right.

"Austin & Ally" is TV's #1 series in Kids 2-11 (2.3 million/5.9 rating), Kids 6-11 (1.9 million/8.1 rating) and Tweens 9-14 (1.8 million/7.7 rating). The series hit a series ratings high among Tweens during the quarter and delivered its #2 telecast of all time in Total Viewers, Kids 2-11 and Kids 6-11.

Created by Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert ("Good Burger," "Kenan & Kel," Disney Channel's "Sonny With A Chance" and "JONAS"), and executive-produced by Kopelow, Seifert and Rick Nyholm ("I'm in the Band," "George Lopez"), the series stars musician and actor Ross Lynch as Austin, actress Laura Marano ("Without a Trace," "Back to You") as Ally, Raini Rodriguez (Disney's "Prom," "I'm in the Band") as Trish and Calum Worthy ("Psych," "Good Luck Charlie") as Dez.

Audiences continue to embrace music from the series, with the "Austin & Ally" soundtrack peaking at #1 on iTunes Top Soundtracks chart, and the music video for "Heard it on the Radio" posting nearly 8 million views on VEVO. Additionally, fans continued to show their support and creativity by creating one million "unique" versions of the interactive music video on AustinandAllyVideo.com.

New episodes of "Austin & Ally" air SUNDAYS on Disney Channel. The series is a production of It's A Laugh Productions, Inc and carries a TV-G parental guideline.

Disney Channel is a 24-hour kid-driven, family inclusive television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series and movies. Currently available on basic cable in over 99 million U.S. homes and to millions of other viewers on Disney Channels around the world, Disney Channel is part of the Disney/ABC Television Group.

[Source: NTI, U.S. ratings, 12/31/12-3/24/13, trackage data with minimum 5 telecasts]