The series premiere of Disney Channel’s new “Stuck in The Middle” reached 2.808 million live+same-day viewers.
The performance, which also included a 0.57 adults 18-49 rating and a 0.59 adults 18-34 rating, is solid by typical cable standards.
Context, however, provides some downside.
For starters, because Disney Channel premieres are promoted as big events (and often given big lead-ins), there tends to be substantial drop-off for the subsequent episodes. While Disney Channel would be thrilled with a show that could consistently deliver a 0.6 adults 18-49 rating and 2.8 million total viewers, it is highly unlikely “Stuck In The Middle” will regularly perform at that level. It may not even come close.
The total premiere audience, moreover, ranks as the lowest for a Disney Channel series opener (scripted live action shows) in at least ten years.
Granted, “Stuck In The Middle” did not launch in ideal circumstances.
It aired on Valentine’s Day.
Additionally, while some recent Disney Channel premieres aired out of high-rated original movies (which helped enhance the “event” feel, were produced specifically for the Disney Channel audience and featured more compatible casts), “Stuck In The Middle” followed a screening of “Frozen.”
“Frozen” put up strong numbers (0.99 adults 18-49 rating, 1.02 adults 18-34 rating, 3.887 million viewers), particularly in the adults 18-49 and adults 18-34 demographics. It was absolutely a solid lead-in.
But its overall viewership paled in comparison to that of movies like “Teen Beach 2” and “Descendants,” which drew considerably greater quantities of youth viewers (they, as an example, drew almost twice as many females 12-34). They respectively led into the 2015 premieres of “Best Friends Whenever” and “Bunk’d.”
“Teen Beach 2” posted a 1.03 adults 18-49, a 1.02 adults 18-34 rating and 5.823 million total viewers, and lead-out “Best Friends Whenever” managed a 0.59 adults 18-49 rating, a 0.51 adults 18-34 rating and 3.536 million viewers. “Stuck In The Middle” actually demonstrated comparable retention in adults 18-49 and better retention in adults 18-34 and total viewership.
“Descendants,” meanwhile drew a 1.40 in A18-49, a 1.26 in A18-34, and 6.550 million total viewers. In posting a 0.75 adults 18-49 rating, a 0.64 adults 18-34 rating and 4.236 million in total viewership, “Bunk’d” had weaker retention than “Stuck In The Middle” in all three columns.
On the other hand, the January 2015 “KC Undercover” premiere, which faced competition from the AFC Championship, aired out of “Austin & Ally” rather than a high-profile movie. Its 0.66 A18-49 rating, 0.52 A18-34 rating, and 3.509 million viewership mark all comfortably topped the 0.54, 0.39 and 3.076 million drawn by the lead-in.
The conclusion is simple: whether one wants to present the “Stuck In The Middle” premiere numbers as positive or negative, he has ample ammunition.
The only numbers that will matter, however, are those for the upcoming episodes. How “Stuck In The Middle” fares moving forward will mean far more than the historical viewership low yet respectable retention rate posted by the premiere.
