MUMBAI: The 2007 Golden Globes is an affirmation of the phenomenal popularity of Walt Disney Company's Ugly Betty. Riding high on all the adulation, the series has just got a fillip as it premiered in New Zealand. The series, aired on TVNZ's TV2 on 16 January at 8:30 pm, was the highest rated show of the night.

The show was telecast in New Zealand a day after its awards romp at the Globes. Attracting an average audience of 613,600 viewers, the series captured a remarkable 18.58 per cent rating share in age group 18-39. Similar to its performance in the US, it was the nation's female viewership that drove a massive 70 per cent share of its viewership.

"We couldn't be more pleased with Ugly Betty's performance in New Zealand," commented BVITV's senior vice president and management director in Asia Pacific Steve Macallister. "We are confident that this endearing and universal fish-out-of-water tale will continue to warm the hearts of viewers as it launches across the region."

l In Asia Pacific, Ugly Betty has already been licensed by The Walt Disney Company's Buena Vista International Television-Asia Pacific (BVITV-AP) to ten broadcasters. TVNZ was the first to premiere in the region. The next launch dates across the region include Korea (KBS) on 3 Feb, Singapore (MediaCorp TV) on 5 Feb, Malaysia (8TV) on 6 Feb and Hong Kong (TVB Pearl) on 15 March. Australia (Seven Network), pan-regional (STAR World), India (STAR India), Korea (CJ Media Channel CGV) and Fiji (Fiji TV) have also licensed the series with air dates not yet announced.

On 15 January Ugly Betty received a Golden Globe for Best Television Comedy with series star America Ferrera taking home the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical.

Ugly Betty (Touchstone Television) is the number one new comedy of the 2006-07 television season with both total viewers and adults 18-49 in the US. Ugly Betty has greatly improved the time period for ABC, nearly doubling its year-ago delivery in both total viewers and adults 18-49. The series was launched in the UK on Friday 5 January with the highest premiere ratings for a US comedy on Channel 4 in 10 years.

The series is licensed by Disney's Buena Vista international Television (BVITV).