Ratings for Burbank-based Nickelodeon tumble from loss of carriage on DirecTV
Ratings for Viacom‘s Nickelodeon have fallen dramatically in the days since the channel was dropped from satellite broadcaster DirecTV over a fee dispute.
On July 10, the last day Burbank-based Nickelodeon had distribution on DirecTV, its total day audience was about 1.8 million. On July 11, that figure fell 33% to 1.2 million. On Friday, the average was up slightly to 1.3 million.
Losing carriage on DirecTV couldn’t have come at a worse time for Nickelodeon. The cable network, which caters its programming to kids and teens with shows that include “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Dora the Explorer,” has seen its audience shrink over the past year while rival Disney Channel has made gains.
-- Joe Flint, Los Angeles Times