ABC Family Scores with Harry Potter, Holiday Programming
Holiday-Themed Programming Brings Disney-Owned Network Most-Watched Week in 2007
By Anne Becker -- Broadcasting & Cable, 12/4/2007 11:56:00 PM
ABC Family posted its second-most-viewed week ever in primetime in its key 18-34 demo last week thanks to a slate of holiday programming.
Countdown to 25 Days and the beginning of the cable network's 10th annual 25 Days of Christmas programming helped it to average 425,000 viewers in the demo, putting it behind only the week of Dec. 4, 2006, according to Nielsen Media Research.
The theme programming also brought Disney-owned ABC Family its most-watched week in 2007 with total viewers (2 million), adults 18-34 (425,000), adults 18-49 (910,000) and various key women demos. The network was ranked No. 2 in all of cable during primetime last week with with women 18-49 (567,000).
Especially helpful for the network were weekend showings of the Harry Potter movies. Starting at 7 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 1), Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets ranked as cable's most-viewed program for its four hours in adults 18-49 (1.7 million). And starting at 6 p..m Sunday, the Prisoner of Azkaban installment ranked first in its time period in total viewers (3.4 million), adults 18-49 (1.6 million), women 18-34 (460,000), viewers 12-34 (1.3 million) and females 12-34 (749,000).
