Viewership of children's cable TV networks from 2023

[FirePuppy]

As of December 31, 2023, all 11 children's cable TV networks each now have less than 200,000 viewers, according to Nielsen. Here's where we stand now:

Nickelodeon - 190,000 (97,000 less than last year)
Cartoon Network - 146,000 (35,000 less than last year)
Disney Junior - 133,000 (50,000 less than last year)
Disney Channel - 132,000 (46,000 less than last year)
Nick Jr. - 112,000 (57,000 less than last year)
Nicktoons - 58,000 (7,000 less than last year)
TeenNick - 51,000 (the only channel that actually gained more viewers)
Boomerang - 41,000 (11,000 less than last year)
Disney XD - 32,000 (21,000 less than last year)
Discovery Family - 28,000 (10,000 less than last year)
Universal Kids - 21,000 (2,000 less than last year)

This would probably be a good time for all shows still airing on any of these channels that currently aren't available on any streaming services to move to Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, etc., depending on who owns and operates these networks. Nielsen also stated that "kids aren't watching linear TV, and they're certainly not watching linear TV in primetime".

 

[Mejo]

Crazy to think that TeenNick of all networks is the only one whose ratings have improved. Wonder how that happened?

 

[CassieTheDragon]

I'm not sure if those ratings are weekly or what timespan... but I added up those numbers and it came up to 944,000.

Not even Nick/CN/Disney's less successful shows would get that low, normally. An average new episode of My Life as a Teenage Robot (03) or The Buzz on Maggie (05) would get at least a million viewers; the latter cartoon had a 1.6 premiere.

Those were the way less popular new cartoons in the mid 2000s. You bet that cartoons like Codename Kids Next Door (02) or even Camp Lazlo (05) had ratings that far surpassed a million viewers.

 

[Corwin Haught]

I'm not sure if those ratings are weekly or what timespan... but I added up those numbers and it came up to 944,000.

It is an average of the entire year.

Here's the Variety article this thread was presumably cribbed from.

 

[CassieTheDragon]

It is an average of the entire year.

Here's the Variety article this thread was presumably cribbed from.

Yeah holy crap that's bad...

Dragon Tales (99) had 11 times that amount a week (11 million a week) in 2003

 

[Surreal Kangaroo]

Dragon Tales (99) had 11 times that amount a week (11 million a week) in 2003

Yeah but streaming wasn’t a thing in 2003. You pretty much just watched whatever came on tv, when it came on.

 

[CassieTheDragon]

Yeah but streaming wasn’t a thing in 2003. You pretty much just watched whatever came on tv, when it came on.

Well it just goes to show how much TV has fallen.

 

[aegisrawks]

I think this assesment is way too CABLE CENTRIC. Which is ironic given that Cable used to murder broadcast for kids stuff. That Mister Rogers spinoff show Donkey Hoodie had TERRIFIC RATINGS on PBS Kids. Like two or 3 million viewers. But for some reason people just point at cable and doomsay.

According to this post Me TV's Toon in With Me is getting over one million viewers and no one is talking about it. I know the post says 2.5 million but as much as I want to believe it, I think over a million (But below 2 million) s a more solid and true data. Me TV constantly outdoes itself in ratings but even 2.5 is a bit too much to believe.

MeTV Launching Toon in with Me

Weigel’s trademark for “Toony TV” has been approved. An all-cartoon Weigel network is nigh! And it needs to include the entire Ash era of Pokemon (sorry Ash haters, no Horizons) as part of its line-up, in addition to airing on MeTV and H&I.

animesuperhero.com

 

[Space Cadet]

Not surprising but as someone who followed the ratings for the kids cable networks back during the 00's, it's still shocking to see. But it totally makes sense as to why AS has taken up half the real estate on CN and why kids networks premiere new episodes on streaming services first. The irony is that CN is now beating Disney Channel and close to Nick because those network audiences dropped much faster from their highs.

 

[Leviathan]

It's a big problem. Kids 6-11 have abandoned cable kids' channels in droves, but they're subsidiaries of megacorps that abhor risk and change, so there's no incentive to try and fix the problem.

I'm not sure if those ratings are weekly or what timespan... but I added up those numbers and it came up to 944,000.

Kids are getting their entertainment fix elsewhere. The Amazing Digital Circus is just one half-hour pilot and that has gotten over 290 MILLION views and counting. Kids are also watching Skibidi Toilet in utterly absurd numbers.

The cable networks have no counter to that except to spam Spongebob or Big City Greens or whatever to diminishing returns.

 

[5YearsOnEastCoast]

Yeah viewership for kid's cable TV networks has gone down the toilet. Yeah there are children who still watch cartoons, but it is far cry from how it used to be like at least a decade ago. Many kids 12 and under just aren't watching children shows/cartoons as they used to. There are currently watching some TikTok/Youtube influencers, watching Skibidi Toilet or busy playing stuff like Fortnite or Roblox.

Frankly I have no idea how to get back kids watching kids cable TV.

 

[Corwin Haught]

I think this assesment is way too CABLE CENTRIC. Which is ironic given that Cable used to murder broadcast for kids stuff. That Mister Rogers spinoff show Donkey Hoodie had TERRIFIC RATINGS on PBS Kids. Like two or 3 million viewers. But for some reason people just point at cable and doomsay.

According to this post Me TV's Toon in With Me is getting over one million viewers and no one is talking about it. I know the post says 2.5 million but as much as I want to believe it, I think over a million (But below 2 million) s a more solid and true data. Me TV constantly outdoes itself in ratings but even 2.5 is a bit too much to believe.

MeTV Launching Toon in with Me

Weigel’s trademark for “Toony TV” has been approved. An all-cartoon Weigel network is nigh! And it needs to include the entire Ash era of Pokemon (sorry Ash haters, no Horizons) as part of its line-up, in addition to airing on MeTV and H&I.

animesuperhero.com

Toon in With Me may draw a million viewers, but they mostly aren't children as per the channel's intended demographics, and the bloc itself doesn't have any new animation and probably won't ever make any. Nielsen says that MeTV as a whole averaged 631,000 viewers last year (ranking 21st), so the number is plausible.

 

[CassieTheDragon]

Yeah viewership for kid's cable TV networks has gone down the toilet. Yeah there are children who still watch cartoons, but it is far cry from how it used to be like at least a decade ago. Many kids 12 and under just aren't watching children shows/cartoons as they used to. There are currently watching some TikTok/Youtube influencers, watching Skibidi Toilet or busy playing stuff like Fortnite or Roblox.

Frankly I have no idea how to get back kids watching kids cable TV.

Gen Alpha, born 2012 onward, was literally born into a world of streaming services. It's all they've ever known, they're the kids of today.

Someone born as late as 2009-2011 could've been watching cable as a 4-6 year old. Gen Alpha did not.

 

[The Overlord]

Yeah viewership for kid's cable TV networks has gone down the toilet. Yeah there are children who still watch cartoons, but it is far cry from how it used to be like at least a decade ago. Many kids 12 and under just aren't watching children shows/cartoons as they used to. There are currently watching some TikTok/Youtube influencers, watching Skibidi Toilet or busy playing stuff like Fortnite or Roblox.

Frankly I have no idea how to get back kids watching kids cable TV.

There is no point trying to get kids to try to watch these kids channels, technology has made them obsolete. You would not try to get kids to watch stuff on VHS or play game boys. Getting kids interesting in animation online or through streaming is more realistic.

 

[kanc]

Sorry for posting late,

I know this is a kids channels thread, but according to Variety: Nick at Nite numbers: 245 (-13% from 2022), and Adult Swim - 217 (-11% from 2022)

Both adult blocks of kids networks are above kids ratings.

 

[aegisrawks]

Sorry for posting late,

I know this is a kids channels thread, but according to Variety: Nick at Nite numbers: 245 (-13% from 2022), and Adult Swim - 217 (-11% from 2022)

Both adult blocks of kids networks are above kids ratings.

Awesome post please keep this up!

 

[PrevueLovesAnimeTV]

It's a big problem. Kids 6-11 have abandoned cable kids' channels in droves, but they're subsidiaries of megacorps that abhor risk and change, so there's no incentive to try and fix the problem.



Kids are getting their entertainment fix elsewhere. The Amazing Digital Circus is just one half-hour pilot and that has gotten over 290 MILLION views and counting. Kids are also watching Skibidi Toilet in utterly absurd numbers.

The cable networks have no counter to that except to spam Spongebob or Big City Greens or whatever to diminishing returns.

You Mean Bluey Overruns on Disney and that Show that i despise and the fact that Nickelodeon has movies because John Flannery came from Fellow Paramount/ViacomCBS Net Showtime after spending some time at AMC

And also Nick@Nite Should be Called the New WB because Gunnar and David Programmed their Networks Really Well after the Merger and Ouweleen is Programming CN Better and MeTV Toons is new on June 25
(It Might have Happened or something)

and Don't Get me Started on the iPad Kids Dominating Kids Entertainment