Third quarter ratings highlights for Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.
Adult Swim
With 12 of the last 14 quarterly adults 18-34 delivery crowns among its titles, Adult Swim now confirms Third Quarter 2008 as the #1 ad-supported basic cable network for total day delivery of adults 18-34, according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research. Since becoming an individually-rated network in second quarter '05, the late-night network has also ranked #1 in total day delivery of adults 18-24 and men 18-24 for 14 consecutive quarters. Additionally, Adult Swim has ranked #1 with men 18-34 for 11 of the last 14 quarters. Among its third quarter 2008 titles, Adult Swim also claims #1 total day delivery among adults 18-24, men 18-34 and men 18-24.
Among Adult Swim's programming highlights, the Wednesday, July 9 telecast of FAMILY GUY (11:30 p.m.) was the most-watched Adult Swim telecast of the quarter among adults 18-34 (1,356,000). The most watched telecast for quarter was ROBOT CHICKEN, airing Sunday, September 14, delivering the network's largest audience of men 18-34 (941,000).
Adult Swim also ranked #1 for July and August 2008 monthly total day delivery of all targeted young adult demos, including adults 18-34, adults 18-24, men 18-34 and men 18-24.
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network charted powerful double-digit third quarter growth in prime time ratings across all kid demos, it best quarterly prime time ratings performance since second quarter 2007, according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research. Compared to the same third quarter time period last year, kids 6-11, 2-11 and 9-14 prime time ratings increased between 10% to 13%, while delivery among the demos also improved between 9% to 10%. Total day ratings and delivery over the third quarter also grew among kids 2-11, respectively earning 6% and 5% growth, while kids 6-11 ratings and delivery remained unchanged.
Driving Cartoon network's prime time performance over the summer months was the all-new Thursday night comedy franchise "Har Har Tharsdays" (7:30-10 p.m.), which spotlights original animated series CHOWDER (8 p.m.) and THE MARVELOUS MISADVENTURES OF FLAPJACK (8:30 p.m.) as well as top-rated TOTAL DRAMA ISLAND (9 p.m.) and JOHNNY TEST (9:30 p.m.). Each individual series earned double and triple-digit delivery and ratings growth across third quarter.
TOTAL DRAMA ISLAND ranked as the #1 regularly scheduled Thursday night program at 9 p.m. on all television throughout third quarter among boys 2-11, 6-11 and 9-14. Continuing to grow in popularity, it also regularly ranked #1 on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. among kids 2-11, 6-11 and 9-14. The Sunday night movie franchise, "Flicks" (7-10 p.m.), also contributed prime time performance fuel to Cartoon Network, earning significant double-digit ratings and delivery increases across all kid demos.
Disney Channel
--Disney Channel ranked as TV's No. 1 network in Total Day in Tweens 9-14 (529,000/2.2 rating), topping runner-up Nick by 6% (498,000/2.0 rating).
--Disney Channel's reign as basic cable's No. 1 network in Prime on a quarter basis now stands at 14 straight quarters in Kids 6-11 (1.1 million/4.4 rating) and 37 consecutive quarters in Tweens 9-14 (814,000/3.3 rating).
--Disney Channel is cable's second-most-watched network of 3Q08 in Total Viewers (2.5 million).
--Disney Channel aired TV's Top 2 telecasts of 3Q08 with the premieres of THE CHEETAH GIRLS: ONE WORLD (8/25/08) and THE SUITE LIFE ON DECK (9/26/08) in Kids 6-11 (3.1 million/12.5 rating and 2.7 million/10.9 rating, respectively) and Tweens 9-14 (2.6 million/10.5 rating and 2.4 million/9.9 rating, respectively).
--In Kids 6-11, Disney Channel delivered 3Q08's Top 2 TV programs with HANNAH MONTANA (967,000/4.0 rating) and WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE (952,000/3.9 rating).
--In Tweens 9-14, Disney Channel was home to 3Q08's Top 2 TV programs with WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE (829,000/3.4 rating) and HANNAH MONTANA (798,000 /3.3 rating). Add THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK & CODY (No. 5 -- 737,000/3.0 rating) and THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK & CODY -- LATE NIGHT (No. 6 – 711,000/2.8 rating) to the mix, and Disney Channel owned 4 of 3Q08's Top 6 series on all cable.
--Taking sail on the final Friday of third quarter 08, the debut of Disney Channel's THE SUITE LIFE ON DECK positioned as TV's No. 1 series telecast in Kids 6-11 (2.7 million/10.9 rating) and Tweens 9-14 (2.4 million/9.9 rating). Saturday's all new THE SUITE LIFE ON DECK episode was the No. 2 series telecast of 3Q08 in Kids 6-11 (2.4 million/9.9 rating) and Tweens 9-14 (2.1 million/8.6 rating).
--Disney Channel aired TV's Top 2 movies in target kid demos, and cable's most-watched in Total Viewers with the debuts of THE CHEETAH GIRLS: ONE WORLD (6.8 million Total Viewers, 3.1 million Kids 6-11 and 2.6 million Tweens 9-14) and HANNAH MONTANA/MILEY CYRUS: BEST OF BOTH WORLDS CONCERT (6.1 million Total Viewers, 2.3 million Kids 6-11 and 1.9 million Tweens 9-14).
--Playhouse Disney's MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE stood as 3Q08's No. 4 series on all television in target Kids 2-5 demo (585,000/3.6 rating).
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon's 3Q 2008 performance marks its 54th consecutive quarter as basic cable's top total day network for kids and total viewers -- the longest run of its kind. Nick topped with kids 2-11, averaging a 3.5/1.2 million K2-11, and with total viewers, averaging 2.2 million P2+. For the quarter, Nickelodeon owned a dominant 43% of all K2-11 share of viewing among the three major kids nets in total day.
Across the entire Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group portfolio, the Group's television properties (Nickelodeon, NOGGIN, The N, Nicktoons Network, and Nick at Nite) reached an average of 25.4 million K2-11 each week in third quarter, more than any other kids' brand. Additionally, Nickelodeon's Kids and Family TV networks -- NOGGIN, The N, Nicktoons Network, and Nick at Nite -- all delivered double-digit year-over-year growth.
Nickelodeon's 3Q highlights include:
--Nick is number one with K2-11, earning a 3.5/1.2 million -- a +35% lead over the next closest kids' competitor.
--Nick is tops with total viewers, tallying 2.2 million P2+ this quarter, up +3% from last year. Nick was +38% ahead of the number-two total day network, The Disney Channel.
--Nick is number one with K6-11, averaging a 3.2/681,000 K6-11, +7% ahead of the number-two kids' net (The Disney Channel: 3.0/631,000) and +52% ahead of Cartoon Network (2.1/441,000).
--Nick is the number-one destination for preschoolers on commercial TV. Nick averaged 3.8/506,000 K2-5 this quarter in total day, +111% ahead of The Disney Channel (1.8/237,000, down -22%) and +124% ahead of Cartoon Network (1.7/227,000, up +13%).
--SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS is the number-one show with kids 2-11 for the quarter.
