HSM2 Notches Up Record-Breaking Premieres in the U.K., Australia

BURBANK/LONDON/SYDNEY,
September 24: Disney Channel’s High School Musical 2 has debuted to record-breaking audiences this past
weekend in the U.K., where it drew 1.74 million total viewers, and in
Australia, where it delivered an average audience of 313,976 viewers to rank as
the highest-rated movie telecast in subscription television homes.

In the U.K., the 6 p.m.
premiere of High School Musical 2 on
Friday, September 21, was viewed by 750,000 kids, with an average share of 38.4
percent, to rank as the top-rated show across all channels in the timeslot, and
also catapults the sequel into the top five kids movies across all channels so
far this year (through September 9), beating Harry Potter & The Chamber
of Secrets on ITV1. The premiere
telecast also notched up 1.2 million individuals with an 8.4-percent audience
share across multichannel homes. High School Musical 2 now ranks as Disney Channel UK’s best-rated show in
history.

Of the 1.74 million
viewers that tuned in to the four transmissions (two on Disney Channel and two
on Disney Channel +1), one million consisted of kids aged 4 to 15. The premiere
also notched up an audience day share of 19.8 percent for Disney Channel UK
(including Disney Channel +1), the best-ever audience day share among kids
across multichannel homes.

Rob Gilby, the managing
director of Disney Channel UK, said: "Kids around the world are as
enthusiastic as ever for High School Musical and these U.K. viewing figures for the sequel show
there is continued appreciation for the music, the characters and the stories
kids find relevant to their lives."

Meanwhile, Disney
Channel’s Australian premiere of High School Musical 2 on Saturday, September 22, at 6:30 p.m. delivered
an average audience of 313,976 viewers, a 134-percent increase over the average
audience High School Musical
delivered when it premiered in June 2006. The premiere of High School
Musical 2 now stands as the
highest-rated telecast of any kind with kids in subscription television homes
with an average audience of 180,270 kids 5 to 15 years, a 166-percent increase
in viewership among kids compared to the first movie’s premiere last year. High
School Musical 2 also garnered a
55.37-percent share of kids 5- to 15-year-olds viewing in subscription
television households during its two-hour broadcast.

On Saturday, September 22,
High School Musical 2 was the
number-one program in Australian subscription television homes with total
viewers, kids 5 to 15, and teens 16 to 17. The movie’s performance propelled Disney Channel to its
highest-rated day ever with total viewers.

Michael Cairns, the
managing director of Walt Disney Television International for Australia/New
Zealand, said: “The sequel's fabulous ratings performance in Australia reflects
just how much kids and families love the stories and characters of High
School Musical. The continued
global success of High School Musical 2 is something we're extremely proud to be a part of—we always
knew Australians would cheer for High School Musical 2 as much as they did for High School Musical.”

The U.S. premiere of High
School Musical 2 achieved
record-breaking ratings, attracting more than 17 million viewers to become the
most-watched cable telecast of all time in total viewers. The High School
Musical 2 soundtrack debuted at
number-one in the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart.