3rd Season Premiere of “Wizards of Waverly Place” is Friday’s Cable Most-Watched Scripted Telecast in Total Viewers

via press release:

The 3rd Season Premiere of Hit Series “Wizards of Waverly Place”

is Friday’s No. 1 TV Telecast in Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14, and

Cable’s Most-Watched Scripted Telecast in Total Viewers

Led by “Wizards of Waverly Place,” Disney Channel Delivers Friday’s Top 17 TV Telecasts in Kids 6-11, the Top 14 TV Telecasts in Tweens 9-14, and

10 of Cable’s Top 14 Scripted Telecasts in Total Viewers

Friday’s “Wizards of Waverly Place” Debut Tops its Season 2 Opener by

Nearly 2 Million Viewers and by Double-Digit Percentages in Key Kid Demos

“Wizards of Waverly Place,” Season 3 Premiere

Fresh off its most-watched season ever, Friday’s third-season opener of hit original series “Wizards of Waverly Place” (8:00 – 8:30 p.m.) ranked as TV’s No. 1 telecast  in Kids 6-11 (2.0 million/8.3 rating) and Tweens 9-14 (1.7 million/7.0 rating), and cable’s No. 1 scripted telecast in Total Viewers (4.6 million).

Impressively, fronted by “Wizards of Waverly Place,” Disney Channel held Friday’s Top 17 TV telecasts in Kids 6-11, the Top 14 TV telecasts in Tweens 9-14, and 10 of cable’s Top 14 scripted telecasts in Total Viewers.

• Versus its Season 2 premiere (9/12/08), “Wizards of Waverly Place’s” 3rd season debut out-performed by nearly 2 million in Total Viewers (4.6 million vs. 2.8 million), and posted impressive gains in Kids 6-11 (43% - 2.0 million vs. 1.4 million) and Tweens 9-14 (55% - 1.7 million vs. 1.1 million).

• “Wizards of Waverly Place” towered over year-ago time period levels, increasing by 15% in Total Viewers (4.6 million vs. 4.0 million), by 18% in Kids 6-11 (2.0 million vs. 1.7 million) and by 21% in Tweens 9-14 (1.7 million vs. 1.4 million).

• For its just completed second season, “Wizards of Waverly Place” registered impressive gains over Season 1 deliveries, up by 16% in Total Viewers (4.3 million vs. 3.7 million), by 13% in Kids 6-11 (1.8 million vs. 1.6 million) and by 20% in Tweens 9-14 (1.8 million vs. 1.5 million).

(Source: Nielsen Media Research (National Ratings, Live + Same Day, 10/9/09; “Wizards of Waverly Place”, Season 2: 9/12/08-8/21/09, 30 telecasts; Season 1: 10/12/07-8/31/08, 21 telecasts, Live + 7). Ratings based on national rating unless otherwise noted.