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Disney Climbs to Top of Ratings by Creating New Kingdom of Characters -- And Promoting Them Online
The brown-haired actress sits in a director's chair, casually dressed in jeans. She is, however, sporting a million-dollar smile on the set of her popular scripted series.
She takes a sip of water and contemplates the fact that she is one of the most recognizable celebrities in the world. The question: Did she ever believe she would become the star of the best-performing show on the year's No. 1-rated primetime cable network?
"No way," the actress says in a husky Tennessee twang, clasping her hands together. "It was totally like a shock to me."
What was a surprise to 14-year-old Miley Cyrus, who has the title role in Disney Channel's original series Hannah Montana , pretty much sums up the magic carpet ride the Disney Channel has taken since last year.
Only a decade ago, the 90 million-subscriber network was a non-descript pay service known mostly for music concerts featuring the likes of teen boy band 'N Sync. Today, it is one of cable's most successful purveyors of youthful entertainment on cable television, over broadband video and in digital music.
Disney's New Kingdom: Tweens In the last decade, viewership of Disney Channel has multiplied 14-fold with kids between the ages of 9 and 14. Primetime Viewership (in thousands)
| All Viewers | Ages 9-14 |
1996 | 484 | 66 |
1997 | 960 | 185 |
1998 | 1,167 | 268 |
1999 | 1,307 | 345 |
2000 | 1,381 | 451 |
2001 | 1,623 | 609 |
2002 | 1,610 | 601 |
2003 | 1,996 | 722 |
2004 | 1,952 | 678 |
2005 | 2,122 | 737 |
2006 | 2,544 | 927 |
Growth (1996-2006) | 5.3X | 14.0X |
TRUE CONTRIBUTION
With its formula of providing family friendly, musically-charged series and movies, the network now competes for the lion's share of basic-cable viewers. Its rivals are aimed primarily at older audiences, such as USA Network and TNT. In fact, for the first time in its 23-year history, Disney Channel in 2006 finished first in the yearly primetime household ratings race, tying USA Network with a 2.2 rating.
Disney is also basic cable's No. 1 network in primetime among kids 9 to 14 for the last six years and among kids 6 to 11 since 2002.
And Disney Channel's marketing strategy of offering music videos, show episodes and talent...