Advertisers will be wined, and sponsors will be dined. You can count on that much next month, when the children’s-TV business kicks off its “upfront” ad-selling season. But which network will be trumpeting its status as the No. 1 draw for itty-bitty eyeballs?
Viacom’s Nickelodeon has been No. 1 pretty much forever among children ages 2 to 11, the primary advertiser demographic in this neck of the TV woods. And despite a sharp ratings drop over the last few months, the network still holds that status — if only by a sliver.
The January ratings are in, and Disney Channel very nearly beat Nickelodeon among viewers ages 2 to 11, a stunning outcome in and of itself. In January 2011, Nickelodeon led its rival by about 34 percent, according to Nielsen data. This year? Nickelodeon, leaning harder than ever on the aging “SpongeBob SquarePants,” was only 3 percent ahead.
Moreover, Disney Channel had the No. 1 show in the 2-to-11 age group with “Jessie,” a freshly minted hit starring Debby Ryan as a small-town Texas girl who moves to New York and becomes a nanny.
The upshot is that programmers — and publicists — at both channels will spend February in heightened battle mode. One clue as to how things will turn out comes on Saturday, when Nickelodeon introduces one of its big bets: “How to Rock,” a new musical comedy starring Cymphonique Miller.