BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- Disney Channel's "High School Musical 2" set a viewership record by attracting 17.24 million viewers at Friday night, making the original movie's debut the most-watched basic cable telecast of all time.

 "High School Musical 2," a sequel to the successful 2006 telefilm "High School Musical," surpassed the previous record holder, ESPN's "Monday Night Football" game on Sept. 23, 2006, which averaged 16 million viewers, when premiering on the Disney Channel last Friday.

"High School Musical," one of 10 original movies set to air on the Disney Channel in 2006, was seen by 200 million viewers in 100 countries.

"High School Musical 2," staring Grabeel, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Bart Johnson and Matthew Miles Carter, also dwarfed the broadcast competition to become the most-watched Friday telecast in more than five years.

"The entire team at Disney Channel, including Rich Ross, Gary Marsh and Michael Healy, deserve all the credit for helping to make television history," said Anne Sweeney, co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney-ABC Television Group.

In view of the soundtract of "High School Musical" and "High School Musical 2," Internet rumors say that there's an "Musical 3" in the works for 2008.

(Agencies)