MTV's 'Teen Mom 2' Season Two Debut Is Most Watched Premiere in History of the 'Teen Mom' Franchise

MTV's season two premiere of "Teen Mom 2" is the most watched season premiere in the franchise history, attracting 4.2 million total viewers and a 4.1 P12-34 rating. The season debut powered MTV to its highest rated Tuesday in network history, and marked a 21 percent increase over the previous "Teen Mom 2" series premiere in January 2011. Among W18-24, "Teen Mom 2" averaged a 10.5 rating, the second highest in series history. "Teen Mom 2" was also the #1 program of the day with W12-34 and #2 with P12-34.

The "Teen Mom 2" season 2 premiere will repeat on MTV tonight at 9pm ET/PT and 11pm ET/PT. Additionally, viewers can watch Chelsea, Jenelle, Kailyn and Leah's "16 and Pregnant" episodes when MTV re-airs them on Saturday, December 10, 2011 from 7:00am - 11:30am ET/PT and Sunday, December 11 from 4:30pm - 9:00pm ET.

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) announced that the U.S. teen birth rate declined 9 percent in 2010 and is now at the lowest level ever reported. Experts from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy cite the "Teen Mom" franchise as one of the key factors contributing to this steep decline.

In reference to the historic drop, the CEO of the National Campaign Sarah Brown recently stated, "Teens are being more careful for a number of reasons, including the recession, more media attention to this issue - including the "16 and Pregnant/Teen Mom effect? - and more attention to and investment in evidence-based programs. But at the end of the day, the thanks and admiration go to teens themselves."

Source: Nielsen. P12-34 Live+SD coverage ratings. 12/06/11 or as dated.