There was no question whether Pixar’s first television special, Toy Story of Terror, would be successful, especially given the sheer popularity of the franchise. Pixar also makes bringing millions of viewers to theaters look incredibly easy, as there is a certain level of trust that audiences have developed in the Pixar brand. The TV special aired last night and it surprised no one to see it bring in droves of viewers. Read more about the numbers after the break!
An estimated 10.3 million Americans tuned into last night’s showing (via Joe Adalian of Vulture), capturing the number one spot in its timeslot. Once the time-shifted ratings come in, those who recorded the special on their DVRs and watch it later this week will inevitably raise that number. The ratings fall in line with the box office we are used to seeing from Pixar – if we attach the average movie ticket price of a little over $8 to those 10.3 million viewers, the take would amount to over $80 million. That is just the ratings from one night.
Of course, television viewing habits differ from that of moviegoers, but the comparison indicates that Pixar’s popularity translates to television well. There are rumors that the animation studio is already working on future television specials. With these numbers, we likely have not seen the last Pixar TV project.
