HighSchoolMusical2 will showcase the marketing muscle of the Disney Channel, which has emerged as arguably the most potent promotional platform in Hollywood.
The 17.2 million figure for HighSchoolMusical2 would have been higher if analysts had taken into account the large viewing parties held by fans across the country, the trade paper said.
Nickelodeon's popular Miranda Cosgrove-star vehicle iCarly averaged 7.4 million viewers in the 6- to 11-year-old demographic in recent months, while the Disney Channel still rides high from its HighSchoolMusical2 premiere, which nabbed a record 18.6 million viewers.