Nickelodeon Closes 2Q11 as Top Cable Net; iCarly Ranks as Basic Cable’s Top Entertainment Program for the Quarter

NEW YORK, June 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Nickelodeon closed second quarter with a top-notch ratings performance led by iCarly--which ranks as basic cable's top entertainment program in 2Q11 with total viewers.  iCarly also took the top spot as the number-one program on all TV with kids and tweens.  SpongeBob SquarePants continues to dominate as the top animated series with kids and tweens, and Dora the Explorer is the top preschool series for the quarter. iParty with Victorious (June 11, 8 p.m. ET/PT), a 90-minute TV event uniting the casts of iCarly and Victorious, rocked the ratings. It premiered with 7.3 million total viewers, and with Live + 7 data, grew its viewership by +18% to 8.7 million total viewers--ranking as the quarter's top telecast with all kid and tween demos.

Nickelodeon is also home to the quarter's top two animated series on all TV with kids 2-11, SpongeBob SquarePants and T.U.F.F. Puppy. Nickelodeon's preschool block (M-F 7 a.m. – 10 a.m.) boasts the top four preschool programs on all TV for second quarter--Dora the Explorer, Bubble Guppies, Team Umizoomi, and Max & Ruby, respectively.

Nickelodeon's 2Q11 performance marks the network's 65th straight quarter as basic cable's top total day network with kids 2-11 and total viewers, the longest streak of its kind.  According to Nielsen Media Research (3/28/11-6/26/11), the network averaged 2.2 million total viewers and a 3.3/1.2 million kids 2-11, 3.0/645,000 kids 6-11, and 2.3/482,000 tweens 9-14 and 3.9/556,000 K2-5.

Nickelodeon's digital networks Nick Jr. and Nicktoons also closed second quarter with solid ratings performances.  Nick Jr. posted its best second quarter performance ever among all key demos, and is 2Q11's number-one preschool network in total day posting increases with kids 2-5 (+4%) and total viewers (+5%).  Nicktoons had its best second quarter performance ever with its core demo of kids and boys, posting gains with kids 6-11 (+2% in delivery) and boys 6-11 (+2% in delivery); fueled by the series premiere of Voltron Force™ (Thursday, June 16 8:30 p.m. ET), which set a new record for the net as the highest-rated series premiere with all key kid, tween and boy demos. 

Nickelodeon, now in its 32st year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 16 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

SOURCE Nickelodeon