Disney Channel Tops Ratings

LOS ANGELES, January 4: Disney Channel has announced that it finished off 2007 as the year’s number-one cable network in prime time in total viewers—averaging 2.69 million—and delivered the largest annual prime-time audience in cable history.

Disney Channel also continued its success in prime time among key kids’ demos last year. For the fifth consecutive year, the network ranked as television’s number-one network in prime time among kids aged 6 to 11, averaging 1.13 million viewers and scoring a 4.6 rating. Among tweens aged 9 to 14, Disney Channel also extended its streak in prime time to seven straight years at the top, averaging 988,000 viewers and a 4.0 rating. In total day, Disney Channel also enjoyed its most-watched year ever in total viewers (1.60 million), in kids 6 to 11 (606,000) and in tweens 9 to 14 (518,000).

Disney Channel also achieved other milestones last year for its programming, with the premiere of High School Musical 2 ranking as cable’s most-watched telecast of all time in total viewers (18.64 million). The telecast of the sequel also stands as television’s number one telecast of the year in kids aged 6 to 11, notching up 6.54 million viewers and a 26.9 rating and in tweens 9 to 14 with 6.32 million viewers and a 25.7 rating. The sequel’s premiere also rated as television’s number-one move telecast last year, marking the seventh consecutive year that Disney Channel has achieved this distinction among kids 6 to 11, drawing 6.54 million viewers and a 26.9 rating, and the sixth straight year among tweens 9 to 14, with 6.32 million viewers and a 25.7 rating.

Since its record-setting debut in the U.S. on August 17, 2007, Disney’s High School Musical 2 has debuted in more than 150 countries/territories, reaching 170 million viewers worldwide. In the U.S. alone, High School Musical 2 has reached 47.6 million viewers.

For the second consecutive year, the hit original live-action series Hannah Montana was television’s top scripted series of the year in kids 6 to 11, averaging 1.12 million viewers and a 4.6 rating and tweens 9 to 14, with 1.01 million viewers and a 4.1 rating. Now in its fourth season, another original live-action series, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, stood as 2007’s number-two scripted TV show in kids 6 to 11, averaging 1.09 million viewers and 4.5 rating and in tweens 9 to 14 (942,000 viewers and a 3.8 rating).

The network’s preschool block Playhouse Disney, which airs Monday through Sunday from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m., also enjoyed a banner year, delivering all-time highs in the daypart in total viewers (1.26 million), kids aged 2 to 5 (424,000), girls 2 to 5 (222,000), boys 2 to 5 (202,000) and women 18 to 49 (233,000). The Playhouse Disney series Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ranked among TV’s top ten scripted series in the target kids 2-to-5 demo, coming in eighth with 726,000 viewers and notching a 4.6 rating.

Compared to 2006, Disney Channel posted across-the-board growth in prime time in 2007, up by 6 percent in total viewers (2.69 million vs. 2.54 million), by 7 percent in kids 6 to 11 (1.13 million vs. 1.06 million) and by 7 percent in tweens 9-14 (988,000 vs. 927,000 viewers.

—By Irene Lew