broadcast. Disney CEO Michael Eisner introduced the program. Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella was a major ratings success, breaking several television records much like the original did. The telecast aired to over 60 million viewers who watched at least a portion of the film, becoming the most-watched television musical in several years and earning more viewership than 1993's Gypsy. According to the Nielsen ratings, Cinderella averaged a 22.3 rating and 31 share (although it was originally estimated that the program had earned only an 18.8 rating), which is believed to have been bolstered by the film's strong appeal towards women and adults between the ages of 18 and 49. Translated, this means that 31 percent of televisions in the United States aired the premiere, while 23 million different households tuned in to the broadcast. Surprisingly, 70 percent of Cinderella's total viewership that evening consisted of females under the age of 18, specifically ages two to 11. The broadcast attracted a particularly high number of younger audience members, including children, teenagers and young adults, in turn making Cinderella the television season's most popular family show. In addition to being the most-watched program of the evening, Cinderella remained the most-watched program of the entire week, scoring higher ratings than the consistently popular shows ER and Seinfeld. The film became ABC's most-watched Sunday night program in more than 10 years, as well as the most-watched program during the network's two-hour 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm time slot in 13–14 years, a record it broke within its first hour of airing. AllMusic biographer Steve Huey attributes the film's high ratings to its "star power and integrated cast". Additionally, the popularity of Cinderella boosted the ratings of ABC's television film Before Women Had Wings, which premiered immediately following the program and consequently earned a rating of 19, retaining much of its viewership from Cinderella's broadcast. ABC's chief researcher Larry Hyams recalled that few "predicted the magnitude of Cinderella's numbers". On February 14, 1999 (Valentine's Day), ABC re-aired the film, which was watched by 15 million viewers. According to Ashley Lee of the Los Angeles Times, Cinderella was the most profitable television film of its time. Fuse broadcast Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella on November 2, 2017 in honor of the film's 20th anniversary, naming the television special A Night Of Magic: 20th Anniversary of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. The network also aired "Cinderella"-themed episodes of Brandy's sitcom