Not High School Musical 2 numbers, but 11.4 million is still big. The biggest average audience on cable all year so far. Soon, Monday Night Football will knock it to second, but I'm guessing Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie repeats better.
Think of how big iCarly: iFight Wizards of Waverly place would be! But Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie is cable's most-watched program in 2009, topping iCarly, and even Jon & Kate Plus 8, and thoroughly crushed last night's broadcast competition in terms of viewers.
via Disney Channel press release:
Ratings Highlights For Friday, August 28, 2009 – Preliminary National Ratings
Disney’s “Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie” Casts Ratings
Spell on 11.4 Million Total Viewers
“Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie” is TV’s No. 1 Entertainment Telecast of 2009 in Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14, and is Cable’s No. 1 Telecast in Viewers
Disney Channel Holds Basic Cable’s Top 4 Scripted Telecasts Since 2007 with “High School Musical 2,” “Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie,” a “Hannah Montana” Telecast and “Wizards On Deck With Hannah Montana”
Disney Channel Owns Summer 2009’s Top 3 Scripted Cable Telecasts in Viewers, and TV’s Top 3 in Tweens 9-14 With “Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie,” “Wizards On Deck With Hannah Montana” and “Princess Protection Program”
Among Disney Channel’s 77 Original Movie Premieres, “Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie” is No. 2 DCOM Ever in Total Viewers and Key Kids
Special “Lights, Camera, Take Action! Backstage with Disney’s Friends for Change” Delivers 4.8 million Viewers, 1.9 million Kids 6-11 and 1.7 million Tweens 9-14
“Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie” (8:00-9:55 p.m.)
Disney Channel’s 77th original movie, Disney’s “Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie” premiered Friday night as TV’s No. 1 entertainment telecast of 2009 in Kids 6-11 (4.5 million) and Tweens 9-14 (4.0 million), and became cable’s No. 1 telecast in Total Viewers (11.4 million). In key kids, the movie bowed as cable’s No. 1 telecast this year.
Most impressive, Disney Channel holds basic cable’s Top 4 scripted telecasts since 2007 in Total Viewers with “High School Musical 2” (17.2 million, 8/17/07), “Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie” (11.4 million, 8/28/09), a “Hannah Montana” telecast (10.7 million, 8/17/07) and crossover event “Wizards On Deck with Hannah Montana” (9.3 million, 7/17/09).
Friday’s No. 1 TV telecast in Total Viewers, “Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie” towered over all time period competition on both broadcast and cable, besting runner-up CBS by 5.5 million in Total Viewers (11.4 million vs. 5.9 million), or by 93%, and also scored No. 1 rank in Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14. In fact, in Total Viewers the movie ranked as Summer 2009’s No. 1 Friday TV telecast.
- “Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie” debuted as Disney Channel’s No. 2 original movie of all time in Total Viewers (11.4 million), Kids 6-11 (4.5 million) and Tweens 9-14 (4.0 million), behind August 2007’s mega-hit “High School Musical 2.”
- “Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie” posted the net’s second-highest deliveries in the time period on record in Total Viewers, Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14, behind only Friday, 8/17/07, when “High School Musical 2” debuted.
Summer 2009 Highlights (June 1-August 28, 2009)
- With “Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie,” “Wizards On Deck With Hannah Montana” and “Princess Protection Program,” Disney Channel is home to cable’s Top 3 scripted telecasts in Total Viewers, and TV’s Top 3 telecasts in Tweens 9-14 and TV’s Top 2 telecasts in Kids 6-11.
- For the 3rd consecutive summer, Disney Channel is TV’s No. 1 network in Total Day in Tweens 9-14, and also ranked No. 1 in Kids 6-11. In Total Viewers, this summer wrapped as the net’s most-watched summer ever.
- With only 3 days to factor in, Disney Channel is on pace to deliver the largest Kid 6-11 audience for any cable net in history in Total Day.
- In Kids 6-11, Disney Channel delivered TV’s Top 6 series in Summer 09 with “Wizards of Waverly Place” (1.8 million/7.2 rating), “The Suite Life on Deck” (1.6 million/6.7 rating), “Phineas and Ferb” (1.5 million/6.3 rating), “Sonny with a Chance” (1.5 million/6.1 rating), “Hannah Montana” (1.5 million/6.0 rating) and “JONAS” (1.5 million/6.0 rating).
- In Tweens 9-14, Disney Channel owned TV’s Top 6 series in Summer 09 with “Wizards of Waverly Place” (1.6 million/6.8 rating), “The Suite Life on Deck” (1.4 million/5.9 rating), “Hannah Montana” (1.4 million/5.8 rating), “Sonny with a Chance” (1.3 million/5.5 rating), “JONAS” (1.3 million/5.3 rating) and “Phineas and Ferb” (1.2 million/4.9 rating).
“Lights, Camera, Take Action! Backstage with Disney’s Friends for Change” (9:55-10:25 p.m.)
- At 9:55 p.m., special event “Lights, Camera, Take Action! Backstage with Disney’s Friends for Change” delivered an impressive 4.8 million Total Viewers, 1.9 million Kids 6-11 and 1.7 million Tweens 9-14, standing as Friday’s No. 3 TV telecast in the key kid demos.
(Source: Nielsen Media Research (Preliminary National Ratings, Live + Same Day, 8/28/09). Telecast ranks based on Live + Same Day; series ranks based on most current. Summer 09:6/1-8/28/09, most current.
Does 11.4m not mean that it’s the most watched show on all US TV this week? AGT had 11.2m on Tuesday and I can’t think of anything higher?
yyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaa
The Wizard’s of Waverly Place did very well in the ratings last night. I’m not surprised. It was an awesome movie. I would rate it a 10. I loved it. With 11.4 million viewers which is likely to be higher in the finals I can see Disney giving this movie a number 2. It’s the second highest movie on Disney Channel. It even beat High Schoool Musical 1. So if they do a number 2 I can see it beating High School 2 and if that’s successful maybe they’ll do a third for theatres. With 11.4 million viewers I can see it getting renewed passed season 3. I am so proud of the movie. Last night’s movie just made me want to watch all of the episodes of the series now. I’m so excited. It’s my one of my newest favourite show.
Danny, unless there is some big surprise on Saturday or Sunday (Nielsen week goes through Sunday), it will be tops for the week in viewers.
Thanks Robert. Pretty impressive for a kids movie on cable to be the #1 show but I suppose with the main networks having so little to offer over the summer, it will be happening more and more over the next few years. Disney will no doubt be looking for a sequel.
true coolness
Disney promoted the hell out of this movie. TV/radio/print ads. Ads in malls. Huge online push. And they’ve been promoting it for months too, they didn’t just start promoting it in August.
I’M VERY HAPPY THAT THE MOVIE DID WELL. FOR A DISNEY MOVIE, IT WAS VERY GOOD AND HAD AMAZING ACTING. SELENA GOMEZ IS BY FAR THE BEST DISNEY ACTRESS OUT THERE AND I HOPE SHE WILL BE MORE SUCCESSFUL AFTER THIS. SHE’S VERY UNDERRATED AND THE FACT THAT THIS GOT 11.4 MILLION VIEWERS IS AMAZING!
DAMN. Congrats to the cast of Wizards
I was expecting it to be bad, but this movie was really well-done. I actually teared up a little at the end, and I’m too old for that stuff. Embarrassing.
best movie ever! i have to know how they did it witch makes me glad that they will be showing how! i have to be an actress. can anybody hold additions that i could,maybe ,do? i wish i was a wizard. if we ever made a movie that seems at least half as cool as that (most unlikely but we’ll try) we might sell it at our store eco-eclectic and please if you go there buy something! oh and please please please tell me you can make a movie with me! i never did it before but i am sure i am a good actress.back to the basics. movie=awesome! Selena,Jake,and David=best ever!
That number is huge!
I wasn’t even expecting the number to be that big…
There’s just no stopping Disney Channel anymore…
Hopefully they’ll be number one in total day viewers this week as well.
“Disney promoted the hell out of this movie.”
Disney’s marketing for the Wizards movie has been no different than any other Disney Channel movie before…
Disney always promotes the hell out of their movies months before their premiere…
“SELENA GOMEZ IS BY FAR THE BEST DISNEY ACTRESS”
Selena really did do an amazing job in the movie.
You really felt for her character and believed everything she said.
This movie was really awesome, and I’m glad it got so many viewers!! It was, for the most part, original, and very entertaining. The acting was good, too! I cried at the end which is pretty embarrassing…. oph, and I loved how it was slightly complex, because it was from disney channel and usually disney channel makes things that are so simple they’re boring for me.
unbelivable . The first time I saw the trailer, I thought it was ..ehhh . But then after watching, I was LITERALLY in shock . The cast had GREAT chemistry and the crying scene was very touching . I can’t see any other Disney star beating that .
Maybe this is a bad question, but if the Disney Channel isn’t ad supported (correct me if I’m wrong on this), why would an 11 million viewers be any different (or financially lucrative) for Disney than 5 million viewers?
I get the drive to be #1 network on cable, but aren’t they really out to get people to buy products in the store or go to the theme parks? I guess my questions are:
1) If they are going to promote a movie like this starting in mid-summer, why not air it on ABC where they get more money for more viewers?
2) Does the channel advertise its own products during the show? How does more viewers directly equal more cash for the network here? Or is just great the channel is drawing the eyeballs, which will eventually = more money for Disney.
In terms of commercial advertising, it’s true Disney is not advertiser supported. Unfortunately since I didn’t watch I don’t know what was promoted or what in show product placement there was (Disney definitely promotes its own stuff though from theme parks to merchandise).
More viewers probably equals more money, but not in the same way it works with commercial advertising. Assuming they broadcast it additional times between Friday and Sunday I’m sure it will place several times in the weekly top 20/40. I think whether it’s Hannah Montana or whatever, between product placement and promoting their own stuff, more = better = more money..plus in this case it will sell a few DVDs.
As to why not have it on ABC, have you seen ABC’s summer ratings? It’s no slam dunk it would’ve done better there. And I think the audience that wanted to find it was going to find it wherever it airs (like the 17 million who watched HSM2 on Disney a couple of years back), though airing on ABC would have the advantage of allowing commercial sales. I think the reason they don’t do that and keep it on Disney is largely a branding thing and they don’t want Burger King and Subway ads being affiliated (through 30 second spots) with their content products. But I am just speculating and not completely sure of the rationale.
“isn’t ad supported”
Disney did show special ads for Sears and Sarah Lee Bread yesterday during the movie…
The only successful business model I think would make sense for Disney would be to charge a premium amount of money for the extremely limited ad space available on the channel.
Alex, very interesting about Sarah Lee and Sears. Thanks for letting us know.
Disney Channel has had special ads on the channel for a couple years now…
They’re not regular ads like those shown on any other channel on TV.
They’re like 5-second spots voice-dubbed to showcase the 3rd party brand and state that they’re a “proud sponser of Disney Channel.”
I’m sure Disney Channel charges a premium for those spots…