Princess rules TV

2009-06-30 21:11

New York - Disney Channel delivered the year's most-watched scripted programme on cable, drawing 8.5 million viewers with Friday's premiere of its original movie Princess Protection Program.

Starring Mouse contract players and real-life BFFs Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place) and Demi Lovato (Sonny With A Chance), Princess put up huge demo numbers, averaging 3.1 million kids aged 6-11 and 3.2 million tweens 9-14.

Princess now stands as the third-most-watched original movie in the Disney franchise, trailing only the June 22 2008 premiere of Camp Rock (8.86 million viewers) and the August 2007 debut of High School Musical 2 (17.2 million viewers).

If history is any guide, deliveries for the Gomez-Lovato effort will increase significantly upon application of live-plus-seven-day data. With time-shifted viewing factored in, Camp Rock served up some 10.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen, while High School Musical 2 was seen by 18.6 million viewers.

Princess is Disney Channel's 76th original movie. The film stars Lovato as a princess who is dethroned when a dictator seizes control of her country. She is subsequently taken in by the family of Gomez, who plays a tomboy.

- Reuters