Disney’s ‘Camp’ Rocks With Viewers

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

Disney Channel rocked the cable ratings world last night with another breakout original movie.

Disney’s June 20 premiere of its much hyped Camp Rock telepic drew 8.9 million viewers, the second biggest audience ever for a Disney Channel movie, according to Nielsen Media Research fast national ratings provided by Disney/ABC Cable Networks Group. But the movie fell well short of the 18.6 million viewers (a total reflecting live, plus seven-day measurement) Disney’s blockbuster High School Musical 2 generated last August.

Camp Rock, about teens finding their voice at a summer music camp and starring popular rock band the Jonas Brothers, also drew 3.4 million tweens 9 to 11 during the movie’s 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. run. The movie was the most-watched show of the evening, topping runner-up CBS by more than 3.0 million (5.8 million).

The movie will get a repeat airing tonight on broadcast network ABC, then ABC FamilyChannel following night and finally on Disneychannel.com June 23.

CampRock’s performance continues an amazing run of successful original movies for Disney. The movie beomes the 12th out of the last 13 Disney Channel releases to draw more than 5 million viewers in its premiere run, dating back to the supernatural-themed Twitches movie in October 2005. Disney’s last original movie – the Jan. 25 time-travel-based Minutemen telepic -- drew 6.5 million viewers.

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.