Disney Channel expanded to German-language countries such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 1999 as a pay-TV channel. On November 29, 2013, Disney Channel Germany was shut down in order to prepare for its move to public free-TV, which took place on January 17, 2014.
In order to raise public awareness of the move, the Channel produced a series of TV- and online-ads in September 2013, featuring Kermit the Frog, announcing the switch, as well as the re-airing of Die Muppet Show. The ads were released online, starting in December 2013.
To coincide with the free-TV launch, Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin featured a silent interview with Kermit, answering six questions in poses photographed by Heinz Augé. The interview appeared in the publication on January 17, 2014.