Ratings Watch: Disney and Nickelodeon

March 10, 2010 by Kate Calder

Disney Channel US’s March came in like a lion, scoring last week’s number-one TV network in total day in tweens nine to14 for the 4th week running.

The channel’s top spot on cable primetime is also about to reach its five-year mark, delivering its 257th consecutive week at number-one in kids six to 11 (953,000) and 253rd straight week in tweens nine to 14 (777,000). In total viewers (2.3 million), Disney Channel stood as cable’s number-two network in primetime for the 3rd consecutive week.

Posting the net’s best numbers in the time period ever, Sunday’s part one of Hannah Montana’s two-part season three finale at 7:30 p.m. was the week’s number-one TV telecast in tweens nine to 14 (2.2 million) and cable’s number one telecast in total viewers (6.3 million). In kids six to 11, it took the number-two spot with its telecast of 2.3 million.

Meanwhile, Nickelodeon’s duo, iCarly and Big Time Rush, grabbed basic cable’s top two spots with total viewers on Friday, March 5. iCarly topped basic cable overall with total viewers (5.3 million), kids and tweens for the night. Big Time Rush lodged a second-place finish among basic cable telecasts with total viewers (3.9 million), and was number-two with kids and tweens for Friday.

The Big Time Rush ep at 8:30 p.m. scored its highest-rated and most-watched telecast since its premiere (Jan. 18) with kids, tweens and total. The telecast posted double- and triple-digit gains over last year, averaging a 9.0/1.9 million K6-11 (+137% over last year), 6.8/1.5 million T9-14 (+152%), 6.8/2.4 million K2-11 (+74%) and delivering gains of +171% among total viewers.

iCarly‘s March 5 episode that aired at 8:00 p.m. also bested all broadcast and cable programming with kids 2-11 and 6-11 for the week. The telecast posted double- and triple-digit gains with all key demos and averaged an 11.1/2.4 million K6-11 (+127%), 8.6/1.9 million T9-14 (+126%) and a 8.5/3.0 million K2-11 (+85%).

Fresh from its most-watched February performance ever, Nickelodeon topped basic cable with kids two to 11, six to 11, tweens and total viewers for the week. The network averaged a 3.5/1.3 million K2-11, 2.9/631,000 K6-11, 2.0/430,000 T9-14 and 2.2 million total viewers. For the week, Nick snagged nine of the top-10 telecasts among kids 2-11 (including iCarly, SpongeBob SquarePants, Big Time Rush) and six of the top-10 telecasts with kids six to 11 on all of television, as well as nine of the top-10 kids’ programs on basic cable with total viewers.