Toonami Bolsters Cartoon Network's Tween Strategy
Date: Sunday, September 19 @ 05:36:01 EDT
Topic: Ratings
The latest update at Broadcasting & Cable takes a look at the three way battle for tween viewers between Cartoon Network, Disney and Nickelodeon. While Nick and Disney are looked at through various angles, the section on Cartoon Network focuses solely on Toonami. For the full story click Read More.
[Source: Broadcasting & Cable (Requires Subscription).
The main three networks targeting tween viewers (commonly ages 9-14) each have a different strategy for reaching the tween demographic. Nick claims to have started it all in the early 90s with Clarissa Explains It All while Disney didn't really make serious inroads into the demographic until Lizzie McGuire. Both networks have more programming coming down the pipe, but most of it seems to be aimed at tween girls.
Cartoon Network, on the other hand, is in a sense more limited in its approach to the tween market since it airs solely animation. However, this hasn't stopped its tween viewership from increasing and coming in at number two behind Nick. As Broadcasting & Cable puts it:
"Cartoon Network came in second to Nick for the summer with 403,000 tween viewers, inching ahead 2% from last year. The growth was fueled in part by a 14% jump in August viewership for Toonami, which was moved to Saturday night in April. The four-hour block is dominated by Japanese-style anime fare, distinguished by big-eyed characters and complex storylines. The Cartoon block scores particularly well with tween boys.
Several Toonami shows are still in production, and the network's eyeing other shows to premiere there, according to General Manager Jim Samples."
The bit about shows still in production likely refers to programs such as Teen Titans, Justice League Unlimited and Megas XLR. The jump in August ratings coincides with new episode premieres from each of those series last month. As the block is eyed as a spot for other new shows to premiere, it seems Toonami is, and will continue to be, a large part of Cartoon Network's tween strategy as the three networks battle for viewers.
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