Nickandmore!

via Nickelodeon press release:

Nickelodeon Draws Best Kid Ratings in Four Years, Ranks as Number-One Net for First Quarter ’02, SpongeBob SquarePants and ChalkZone Etch Out Top-Rated Territory, Kids Find The Fairly OddParents Fairly Fascinating

New York, NY—April 2, 2002—Scoring its highest total-day ratings with kids 2-11 and total viewers in four years, Nickelodeon has completed First Quarter 2002 as basic cable’s number-one network on a 24-hour basis–extending its household reign at the top spot to 26 consecutive quarters. For 1Q ’02 with kids 2-11 in total day, Nick averaged a 3.1/21 rating and share (986,000 average kid viewers)—increases of +3% in rating and +7% in delivery over last year’s like time period. The network’s 24-hour average of 1.8 million total viewers for 1Q ’02 marks an +11% lift over like time period last year.

Among households, Nickelodeon was number one with a 1.5 rating and 1.3 million HH on a 24-hour basis, up +7% in rating and +18% in HH over the prior year’s like time period. In prime time (8–11 p.m., all times ET/PT) among households, the network finished second with a 1.7/1.5 million HH, marking year-to-year gains of +6% in rating and +25% in delivery.

For March 2002 with households, Nick was number one in total day (1.6/1.4 million HH)–up +14% in rating and +17% in delivery over last year. The network was also number two in prime time (1.9/1.6 million HH)—up +19% in rating and +23% in delivery over last year. With kids 2-11, March ranks as the network’s most-watched month ever in total day (3.2/22 rating and share [1.0 million kids]).

Highlights of Nickelodeon’s 1Q ’02 performance include:

• SpongeBob SquarePants scored its second straight quarter as the number-one kids’ show on broadcast and cable television, increasing its prior-year levels by +11% in rating and +15% in delivery with kids 2-11 (7.3/26 rating and share [2.3 million average kid viewers]) for its prime time and weekend airings. Among households, the show averaged a 2.7 rating and delivered 2.3 million HH this quarter, up +8% in rating and +15% in delivery over last year. The show’s 3.6 million total viewers this quarter represents a +20% gain over last year.
• ChalkZone’s premiere drew the Nick’s highest kids 2-11 ratings ever for a series launch and retained a strong +94% of its audience for its second week’s episode. The program’s premiere (Friday, March 22, at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT) scored an 8.6/27 rating and share (2.8 million average kid viewers) among kids 2-11. With households, the premiere averaged a 2.8/2.4 million HH and attracted 4.0 million total viewers, also Nick records for a series launch. With its strong second-episode ratings (8.0/27 rating and share [2.6 million average kid viewers]) with kids 2-11, ChalkZone’s series average with kids 2-11 is an 8.3/27 rating and share (2.7 million average kid viewers)—up +6% in rating and +13% in delivery over last year’s like time period. With households, ChalkZone’s series average of 2.8/2.4 million HH average is up +4% in rating and +14% over last year; its series average of 4 million total viewers represents a +18% lift over last year.
• The Fairly OddParents earned a 5.8/24 rating and share (1.9 million average kid viewers) among kids 2-11 this quarter, up +5% in rating and +12% in delivery over year-ago levels. With households, the program scored a 2.3 rating and delivered 1.9 million HH, up +10% in rating and +12% in delivery over last year. The show’s 2.9 million total viewers this quarter represents a +16% gain over last year.
• Dora the Explorer, the number-one preschool show on commercial television, earned strong ratings for its Monday, March 4 (8 p.m. ET/PT), educational prime-time special ‘Backpack Adventure,’ which ranked as the highest-rated Nick Jr. prime-time special in almost three years. The program scored a 10.0/30 rating and share (1.2 million average kid viewers) among Kids 2-5, lifting the time period average +70% over last year. ‘Backpack Adventure’ also amassed 3.2 million total viewers (persons 2+), a +14% increase over last year’s time-period average.
• Rocket Power’s first television movie, ‘Race Across New Zealand’ (Feb. 16, 8-9:30 p.m. ET/PT) ranked as the network’s highest-rated special across all kid demos since Rugrats’ ‘All Growed Up’ (July 21, 2001). ‘Race Across New Zealand’ scored a 9.6/25 rating and share (3.1 million average kid viewers) with kids 2-11, up +86% over last year’s time period average. Among households, the movie averaged a 2.4/2.0 million HH, up +49% over last year’s like time-period average.

Nickelodeon, now in its 23^rd 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 more than 85 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for more than six consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.