'Descendants' Now Fifth Most Watched Cable Movie

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The July 31 premiere of Disney Channel’s Descendants movie reached 12.2 million viewers with Live +7 ratings, making it the fifth most watched cable original movie ever.

The original movie doubled its 6.6 million live + same day total viewership numbers when DVR and on demand viewership is factored in, according to Disney. The movie’s Live +7 numbers also doubled its delivery among in key kids demos, and nearly doubled its delivery among Tweens 9-14, said network officials.

Descendants is now the fifth most-watched original cable movie of all time and gives Disney six of the top seven most watched cable films ever, joining High School Musical 2, Teen Beach Movie, Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, Descendants, Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension and Camp Rock.

Descendants also stands as the most watched cable TV movie in nearly three years among Adults 18-49 (3 million), behind only Lifetime's Steel Magnolias remake on October 2012 (3.428 million).

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.