Nickelodeon Heads into 12th Straight Year at the Top, Leads Basic Cable Pack by +41% with Kids in Total Programming Day

Nickelodeon Heads into 12th Straight Year at the Top, Leads Basic Cable Pack by +41% with Kids in Total Programming Day

Maintains Number-One Programs for Kids and Preschoolers in 2006

Network Generated Over 600 Million Streams in 2006 across Broadband, VOD and Wireless Platforms; Accrued More than 1.7 Billion Game Plays on Nick.com and NickJr.com

NEW YORK, Jan. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- As it heads into its 12th year as basic cable's number-one net in total programming day, Nickelodeon closes 2006 in first place among all kids' demos (kids 2-5, kids 2-11, kids 6-11 and tweens 9-14) and total viewers (P2+). According to Nielsen Media Research, for the year (12/26/05-12/28/06), Nick averaged a 3.8/1.2 million for Kids 2-11; 4.3/542,000 with Kids 2-5; 3.4/686,000 for Kids 6-11; and 2.5/513,000 among tweens 9-14, ahead of competitors Cartoon Network and Disney by +81% and +41%, respectively, among its core demo of kids 2-11 (Cartoon: 2.1/673,000 K2-11; Disney: 2.7/868,000 K2-11). SpongeBob SquarePants continues to be the number-one program for kids 2-11 on cable while newcomer The Wonder Pets! takes the top spot for the year with preschoolers (kids 2-5).

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061031/NYTU142http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060620/NYTU063-c )

Nickelodeon also generated huge growth in the digital space in 2006. Accumulating over 600 million content streams for the year among its broadband (TurboNick, Nick Jr. Video and Parents TV), video-on-demand, and wireless platforms combined, the network has garnered huge increases from 2005. In addition, the network took gaming online to the forefront and served up more than 900 million game plays on Nick.com in 2006, up +49% over 2005, and over 800 million on NickJr.com, up +70% versus 2005.

The new and improved TurboNick 2.0 served up approximately 265 million streams in 2006, up +580% since its launch year in 2005, while Nick Jr. Video generated approximately 150 million streams, up +285%, and Parents TV accrued approximately 85 million streams, up +296%. Nick.com averages 14.0 million unique visitors a month, a +56% increase, while NickJr.com is averaging 6.8 million unique visitors a month, a +64% jump from 2005.

Nickelodeon's 2006 performance-to-date on television was marked by a number of highly successful programming events such as the Blue's Clues 10th Anniversary, 19th Annual Kids' Choice Awards and SpongeBob SquarePants "Best Day Ever." Highlights of the network's year-to-date performance include:

-- "Drake & Josh Go Hollywood," a TV movie event inspired by the hit
TEENick series Drake & Josh, kicked off the 2006 on Nickelodeon to top
notch ratings. In its premiere on Friday, January 6 (8-9:30 p.m.
ET/PT), it posted the highest ratings for a Nick TV movie in four
years, and ranked as the second highest-rated TV movie with kids 6-11
and tweens 9-14 in Nickelodeon history. Earning 2.1 million tween 9-14
viewers, more than ABC's Rose Bowl (+34% higher in delivery; Rose Bowl
drew 1.6 million T9-14), the event also drew 5.4 million total viewers
(P2+).

-- Nick Jr. took preschoolers on musical world adventures with the new
original series The Wonder Pets! which launched in March and quickly
took the top seat among preschoolers in third quarter 2006. The Wonder
Pets!, beating long ranking Nick Jr. preschool properties Dora the
Explorer (#2) and Go, Diego, Go! (#3), averaged a more than 900,000
viewers kids 2-5 a week in 2006.

-- The live telecast of Nickelodeon's 19th Annual Kids' Choice Awards on
Saturday, April 1, (8-9:30 p.m. ET/PT) earned top honors as the
number-one telecast for kids 6-11 on all of television and the top
cable program with tweens 9-14 for the week of Mar. 27 - Apr. 2. The
highest-rated Kids' Choice Awards with kids 6-11 and total viewers
ever, the broadcast garnered a record 5.9 million persons 2+. This
year's awards generated a record-breaking 26.6 million votes, in a
total of 16 categories on Nick.com and via cell phones by wireless text
messaging. And the live simulcast on TurboNick drove Nick.com to one of
its highest days ever with 1.2 million unique visitors.

-- Blue earned the number-one spot with kids (K2-5 and K2-11) on broadcast
and cable television in its time period and garnered triple digit
increases versus year-ago benchmarks with the Blue's Clues 10th
Anniversary primetime special. Meet Blue's Baby Brother, which aired on
Sunday, August 6, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Nickelodeon, posted a 7.4/935,000
kids 2-5, up +282% versus last year's like time period. More than 3.2
million total viewers (P2+) tuned-in to follow along with Blue in her
adventure to meet her baby brother, up +45% over last year. Meet Blue's
Baby Brother was the highest-rated Blue's Clues primetime special in
four years since "Meet Joe" in April 2002, and the highest-rated Nick
Jr. special in three years (since Dora's "Meet Diego" in October 2003).

-- SpongeBob SquarePants helped lead the network to its best day ever
providing its highest-rated and most-watched day in Nick history on
Friday, Nov. 10. The SpongeBob SquarePants all-day marathon averaging
1.9/4.4 million total viewers (P2+). And the new "Best Day Ever"
special episode along with The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie together
averaged approximately 14 million total viewers. Online, the "best day
ever" website also received almost 5 million streams and 3.2 million
votes.

-- The Avatar: Season Two Finale, which took place Friday, Dec. 1, 8 p.m.
to 9 p.m. on Nickelodeon, drew 4.4 million total viewers (persons 2+),
a series high. The Avatar: Season Two Finale was number-one in its time
period on basic cable with kids 2-11, tweens 9-14 and total viewers.
The telecast set new ratings records for the series, earning a 7.8/1.6
million tweens 9-14, a record with that demographic, and its highest
rating ever for the series among boys 9-14 with a 10.6/1.1 million
B9-14.

Nickelodeon, now in its 27th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 92 million households and has been the number-one- rated basic cable network for almost 12 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA and)(NYSE:VIA.B).

Nickelodeon Programming Hours: M-Th: 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri: 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sat: 6 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun: 6 a.m.-9 p.m. (ET)

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061031/NYTU142
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060620/NYTU063-c
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN5-PRN6
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Nickelodeon

CONTACT: Thamar Romero, +1-212-846-7491, or Joanna Roses,
+1-212-846-7326, both for Nickelodeon

Web site: http://www.nick.com/
http://www.nickjr.com/

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