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Disney Channel’s Little Einsteins, one of the highest-rated TV shows for preschoolers, is successfully competing with Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer for ratings and retail sales, writes Broadcasting & Cable. Little Einsteins, which premiered in October and has signed for a second season, reflects Disney’s hope to hook kids early and keep them loyal as they grow.
The TV series stemmed from Baby Einstein, the country’s most popular line of DVDs for infants, noted for their use of classical music. In the U.S., every two out of three mothers own one or more of the 500 consumer products offered by Baby Einstein, translating to over $500 million worldwide for the brand.
Competition has never been more heated in the preschool TV market as Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and new digital channels like PBS Kids Sprout work to capture audiences, ages 2 to 5, and parent’s pocketbooks.
Nickelodeon runs Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego Go!, the two highest rated preschool programs. With premier ratings of 11.2 and 6.5 respectfully, the Nickelodeon hits still reign over Little Einsteins, which earned a 5.6 premier rating. The October debut of Little Einsteins did capture 737,000 viewers 2-5, bringing Disney’s Playhouse Disney the highest preschool rating of any premier in its history. Currently, it has averaged 519,000 viewers and a 4.3 rating in the demo.
Nickelodeon’s Dora has brought in $3.6 billion retail sales from video, DVD and merchandise, since its August 200 debut. Dora averages a 7.36 rating and 908,000 viewers 2-5.
Working to capture a piece of the annual worldwide retail sales of licensed preschool products, which is an estimated $20 billion, Disney executives hope to earn $1 billion in annual retail sales by 2010 from Baby Einstein and Little Einsteins.
As the industry continues to grow, some experts question the teaching ability of television. Few programs do long-term quantitative research to determine the educational impacts on young viewers. Without formal standards, parents look to their own experiences and company materials to decide what is high enough quality programming for their children. Disney has tried to not overstate the educational benefit of Little Einsteins.
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