Nickelodeon Scores Its Most-Watched Month With Total Viewers In Net's 30-Year History

NEW YORK, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Nickelodeon's January performance marks the net's most-watched month among total viewers (P2+) in the network's 30-year history.  Nick also claims basic cable's top spot in total day with all key demos (kids 2-11, kids 6-11, tweens 9-14 and persons 2+) for the month. According to Nielsen Media Research (12/28/09-1/31/10), Nickelodeon averaged 2.4 million total viewers (+7% over last year), a 3.8/1.3 million K2-11 (+9%), a 3.4/730,000 K6-11 (+6%) and 2.4/523,000 T9-14 (+9%) for January.

Nickelodeon's iCarly and Big Time Rush also swept basic cable among total viewers, and topped broadcast and basic cable with kids and tweens in January.  The record-setting iCarly "iSaved Your Life" (Jan. 18, 8 p.m. ET/PT) and Big Time Rush premiere episode (Jan. 18, 8:30 p.m. ET/PT) scored basic cable's top two entertainment telecasts among total viewers for the month, and drew the top two kid 2-11, kid 6-11 and tween telecasts on both broadcast and basic cable in January.  

For the second time this past month, the dynamic duo of iCarly and Big Time Rush delivered winning episodes, outperforming programming with total viewers on basic cable.  Most recently, a brand-new iCarly, "iWas a Pageant Girl" (Jan. 29, 8-8:30 p.m. ET/PT), scored basic cable's number-one telecast overall with total viewers (5.2 million), and ranked as kids 6-11 (9.7/2.1 million), tweens 9-14 (8.6/1.9 million) and kids 2-11 (7.6/2.7 million) top telecast on Friday.  

A new Big Time Rush episode, "Big Time Bad Boy" (8:30-9 p.m. ET/PT), placed second only to iCarly among all basic cable programs with kids 6-11 (8.0/1.7 million K6-11), tweens (6.5/1.4 million T9-14), kids 2-11 (6.2/2.2 million K2-11) and total viewers (3.8 million) on Friday.  iCarly stands as basic cable's number-one live-action series with K2-11, and Big Time Rush is Nick's highest-rated and most-watched live-action series premiere with all key demos.

Among animated programs in January, SpongeBob SquarePants was the number-one series on television with kids and tweens, and on basic cable with total viewers, placing five out of the top 10 telecasts on all TV with K2-11 for the month. SpongeBob SquarePants has been the number-one animated show among K2-11 for the past seven consecutive years.  The Penguins of Madagascar ranked second only to SpongeBob as TV's top animated show among kids 2-11 and 6-11, and with total viewers on basic cable in January.

Additionally, Nickelodeon's 24-hour preschool network, Nick Jr. boasted its highest-rated and most-watched month ever in January with kids 2-5 (3.0/310,000, +20%) and total viewers (586,000, +21%), while Nick at Nite finished the month as the top basic cable network among Women 18-49 (0.7/416,000).

Nickelodeon, now in its 30th 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, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 15 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