Disney Channel Ratings Down
For the first time in ages, Disney Channel suffered a ratings decrease.
Hannah Montana’s ratings are down ever sense Miley’s Vanity Fair photos. The original Suite Life series is ending. KP and ADJL are over. And the only new show getting any decent promotion is Phineas and Ferb. And I doubt few would disagree with the statement that Camp Rock was no High School Musical.
My hope is that now Disney realizes that they cannot endlessly manufacture hits. At some point the fans really will begin to walk away in noticeable amounts.
Article Source: Animation Insider
Disney Channel lacked stability in Second Quarter of this year, with an uneven stream of weekly performances throughout much of the Quarter. Although select growth could be found following the launch of key episode premieres or following various television specials, Disney Channel saw a plethora of audience losses, with demographic losses in each month of analysis. April saw a decline with Kids 6-11 of roughly -08%, recorded through the Total Program Day, which although much, was the children’s channel’s smallest decline of the Quarter.
The Tweens 9-14 audience showed a consistent decline (Total Program Day), throughout April 2008 for the Disney Channel. Although the cartoon and live-action kid sitcom network has previously helped guide the tween audience, in a year-to-year comparison, the Tweens 9-14 demographic dropped -11% (down to 375,000) on average for this month.
Moving on to the month of May, Disney Channel, with Kids 6-11, similarly declined another -08% (Total Program Day). May 2008 was a difficult month on some level for almost all kids cable networks, but Disney Channel, for its loss, showed modest growth in Total Program Day with Kids 2-11 as the weeks continued; and likewise, in Primetime, Kids 6-11 viewers grew from week to week, if not every so slightly, while other kid networks showed a decline viewers at least one week in said month.
Disney Channel’s June saw double-digit declines in every notable kids demographic. The network saw a decline with the Kids 2-11 audience, when compared to the previous year, of -10% (TPD) and -14% (Primetime), and a similar drop in viewer delivery of -11% (TPD) and -15% (Primetime) with Kids 6-11. From a larger perspective, Disney Channel lost more viewers in Primetime than throughout the entire day of programming, in each demographic. The largest of such losses, in June 2008, were with Tweens. Tweens 9-14 viewership decreased -16% (TPD) and down another -21% (Primetime).
Regardless of Disney Channel’s multi-media dominance among all kid’s entertainment channels due to household reach — Disney Channel averaged a 1.55 Primetime rating in June as based on total U.S. household projection — Second Quarter 2008 saw a decrease of -09% (K6-11, TPD) overall. One key highlight though, specific to the network’s animated programming, was an episode of Phineas and Ferb in Q2 2008, which pulled in a commendable 1.29 million Kids 6-11.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:59 am
I wish they’d listen to some of us parents who grew up on the Disney Channel as well. I know many fans who’d love if they committed a block of time to classic Disney Channel programming like Pooh Corner, Dumbo’s Circus, older cartoons like Gummi Bears, TailSpin, The Wuzzles, etc. Even Fraggle Rock. I know it was originally HBO but don’t the Fraggles fall under Disney ownership now? And since there are rumored Muppet and Fraggle movies in the works, what a great way to build anticipation and a new audience. And how about a revamped D-Tv??? And feature those classic bumpers with Mickey’s hands performing various tasks that all resulted in the old logo.
Remember at the end of the day who pays the cable bill. Give us something we can stand to watch alongside our kids and share those great memories. I know some people will balk and say “the quality was no where near what it is now” but don’t discount the power of nostalgia. I think they be surprised what a little trip back to the well could do for them. Even if just for an hour or two a day, like a block from 5 - 7, when parents are home making dinner, spending time with the kids before bed.
Anyway that’s my two cents! Thanks for this blog. Really great!
October 10th, 2008 at 7:20 am
I think disney should go back to some of there old shows because they were entertaning. Now all shows are boring an disney with a few exceptions but the show Hannah Montana needs work its seems like the people at disney are lost and are digging up to entertain viewers. when i was a kid i loved disney but now that im 13 ya im growing up but still some of these shows could make a 5 year old bored. what happened to the creative disney, W.I.T.C.H. was a great series and so was a ton of other shows that you people at disney decided to through away
thats why disney channel is losing ratings
October 20th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
I hope disney will bring back phil of the future
December 30th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
I think Disney should bring back shows like boy meets world and smart guy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They shows made Disney channel amazin x