Millennial-focused brand ABC Spark will make its Canadian debut in spring 2012 thanks to a new licensing deal between Disney/ABC Television Group and Canada’s Corus Entertainment.

The multi-platform deal marks the first time that these two companies have entered into this type of licensing agreement for a 24-hour channel.

The channel will build on the foundation of the seven-year-old ABC Family millennial brand in the US and will utilize the technology on which teens and young adults often rely. It will be designed to bridge the gap between Corus’ kids channels, which include Treehouse, YTV and Nickelodeon Canada, and its women’s networks.

ABC Family original programming that will head north include Switched at Birth, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Make It or Break It (pictured), Melissa & Joey and upcoming series Jane By Design.

Millennials – or 15-to 34-year-olds – currently make up more than 1.7 billion consumers worldwide and represent the largest demographic bubble in both US and Canadian history.