Disney Channel drew more viewers than CNN or any other prime-time cable staple in the third quarter, setting a record for that period of the year, thanks to TV movie ‘High School Musical 2’ and series ‘Hannah Montana’ and ‘The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.’
The Walt Disney Co-owned kids channel also turned in the second-largest prime time cable audience for any quarter ever behind sister cable network ESPN.
For the first time, the Disney Channel bested top-rated rival Nickelodeon among kids ages 6 to 11 in both prime and total day ratings.
Disney Channel, which is not ad supported, shows "Hannah Montana", about a high school girl's secret life as a rock star, and "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" about twin boys who live in a five-star hotel, tied for No. 1 basic cable series for the quarter.
The ratings victories over basic cable networks aimed at adults such as ESPN, Lifetime and Fox News Channel, put the kids network into a new realm, said Rich Ross, president of Disney Channel Worldwide.
"The amazing thing that we accomplished was not only did we succeed across kids ... the message is we are for kids and families," Ross said. "Consumers voted with their remote controls."
The Disney Channel has steadily climbed to the top of cable ratings starting about five years ago on the strength of original TV movies and TV series such as "Lizzie McGuire" and "That's So Raven" that chronicle kids' everyday experiences with a bit of fantasy thrown in, Ross said.
The network's fortunes reached their pinnacle this year with the release of the TV movie "High School Musical 2," which became the highest-rated cable program ever among all audiences at its Aug. 17 release, with 17.2 million viewers.