Fox leads among practically every demographic this season, but the network has built its biggest advantage among viewers 12-17. It’s absolutely dominating the other networks, with two-thirds of the top 16 shows.
Season-to-date, it has double the average of No. 2 ABC, with a 2.8 rating in 12-17s, versus a 1.4 for ABC, according to Nielsen data crunched by the network. NBC, CBS and the CW are tied for third at 1.3.
Further, Fox is the only network showing year-to-year growth in teens, up 8 percent from last year’s 2.6 average at this time. ABC, CBS, NBC and the CW have all slipped by double-digit percentages.
That's in large part because Fox, which also had the Super Bowl, has continued to air mostly new episodes of shows popular with that demographic while the other networks have long since gone to reruns because of the strike.
Fox holds the top five spots among teens with the two weekly editions of “American Idol,” the Wednesday “Idol”-fueled “Moment of Truth,” “House” and “Family Guy,” all of them averaging a 4.4 rating or better.
Only one of those, “House,” ran out of new episodes because of the writers’ strike.
By contrast, NBC's No. 1 show among teens, “Heroes,” hasn’t aired a new episode since December. It ranks No. 8 overall with a 3.5 average in the demo. ABC’s “Desperate Housewives,” the No. 6 show among teens with a 3.8 average, has been in reruns since early January.
Overall, Fox has 10 of the top 16 programs among teens compared with three for ABC, two for NBC, one for the CW and zero for CBS. In fact, the latter has only two programs in the top 30, the long-running reality show “Survivor” and the drama “CSI.”
While kids 2-11 tend to favor reality on broadcast, only four of the top 10 with teens are unscripted shows. Serialized dramas and animated comedies are the top picks with teens, accounting for eight of the 16 top shows.
Meanwhile, in other younger viewer ratings for the week ending March 9:
Among teens 12-17, Fox led with a 3.0 rating and 10 share, followed by CW at 1.2/4 Univision at 1.0/4, CBS, NBC and ABC at 0.9/3, Telemundo at 0.3/1, Telefutura at 0.1/0, and Azteca at 0.0/0.
Among kids 2-11, Fox was first with a 2.3/9, followed by Univision at 1.3/6, ABC at 0.8/3, NBC and CBS at 0.7/3, the CW at 0.6/2, Telemundo at 0.4/2, Telefutura at 0.1/1 and Azteca at 0.0/0.
The top five shows among kids 2-5: 1. Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Saturday 12:30 p.m.); 2. Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Thursday 5:30 p.m.); 3. Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Monday 5:30 p.m.); 4. Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Monday 5 p.m.); 5. Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Saturday noon)
The top five shows among kids 6-11: 1. Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob Squarepants” (Saturday 10 a.m.); 2. Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Saturday 9:30 a.m.); 3. Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Saturday 9 a.m.); 4. Fox’s “American Idol” (Wednesday 8 p.m.); 5. Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Friday 8 p.m.)
The top five shows among kids 9-14: 1. Fox’s “American Idol” (Tuesday 8 p.m.); 2. Fox’s “American Idol” (Thursday 8 p.m.); 3. Fox’s “American Idol” (Wednesday 8 p.m.); 4. Nickelodeon’s “Zoey 101” (Sunday 8 p.m.); 5. Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Saturday 10 a.m.)
|
TOP 10 PROGRAMS – BROADCAST & CABLE
Kids 2-5
Week Ended March 9 |
|
|
Program |
Net |
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
SPONGEBOB-03/08/2008
|
NICK
|
7.2
|
1154
|
|
2
|
SPONGEBOB-03/06/2008
|
NICK
|
6.9
|
1107
|
|
3
|
SPONGEBOB-03/03/2008
|
NICK
|
6.9
|
1097
|
|
4
|
SPONGEBOB-03/03/2008
|
NICK
|
6.8
|
1096
|
|
5
|
SPONGEBOB-03/08/2008
|
NICK
|
6.6
|
1058
|
|
6
|
DORA THE EXPLORER-03/07/2008
|
NICK
|
6.5
|
1036
|
|
7
|
SPONGEBOB-03/08/2008
|
NICK
|
6.4
|
1028
|
|
8
|
SPONGEBOB-03/07/2008
|
NICK
|
6.2
|
987
|
|
9
|
SPONGEBOB-03/05/2008
|
NICK
|
6.1
|
980
|
|
10
|
NI HAO KAI-LAN-03/07/2008
|
NICK
|
6.1
|
977
|
|
Source: Disney-ABC Television Group, based on data from Nielsen Media Research
|
|
TOP 10 PROGRAMS – BROADCAST & CABLE
Kids 6-11
Week Ended March 9 |
|
|
Program |
Net |
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
SPONGEBOB-03/08/2008
|
NICK
|
8.9
|
2160
|
|
2
|
SPONGEBOB-03/08/2008
|
NICK
|
7.7
|
1872
|
|
3
|
SPONGEBOB-03/08/2008
|
NICK
|
7.5
|
1832
|
|
4
|
AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY-03/05/2008
|
FOX
|
7.2
|
1748
|
|
5
|
SPONGEBOB-03/07/2008
|
NICK
|
7.1
|
1718
|
|
6
|
BACK AT THE BARNYARD-03/08/2008
|
NICK
|
7
|
1696
|
|
7
|
SPONGEBOB-03/07/2008
|
NICK
|
6.8
|
1657
|
|
8
|
SPONGEBOB-03/07/2008
|
NICK
|
6.8
|
1648
|
|
9
|
SPONGEBOB-03/07/2008
|
NICK
|
6.8
|
1648
|
|
10
|
SPONGEBOB-03/07/2008
|
NICK
|
6.7
|
1637
|
|
Source: Disney-ABC Television Group, based on data from Nielsen Media Research
|
|
TOP 10 PROGRAMS – CABLE
Kids 9-14
Week Ended March 9 |
|
Rank |
Program |
Net |
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY-03/04/2008
|
FOX
|
7.8
|
1905
|
|
2
|
AMERICAN IDOL THU SP-3/6-03/06/2008
|
FOX
|
7.2
|
1770
|
|
3
|
AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY-03/05/2008
|
FOX
|
6.9
|
1678
|
|
4
|
ZOEY 101-03/09/2008
|
NICK
|
6.1
|
1481
|
|
5
|
SPONGEBOB-03/08/2008
|
NICK
|
6
|
1458
|
|
6
|
ZOEY 101-03/04/2008
|
NICK
|
5.1
|
1251
|
|
7
|
ZOEY 101-03/04/2008
|
NICK
|
5.1
|
1249
|
|
8
|
SPONGEBOB-03/08/2008
|
NICK
|
5.1
|
1245
|
|
9
|
SPONGEBOB-03/07/2008
|
NICK
|
5
|
1227
|
|
10
|
SPONGEBOB-03/07/2008
|
NICK
|
4.8
|
1177
|
|
Source: Disney-ABC Television Group, based on data from Nielsen Media Research
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