Nickelodeon said it has even bigger plans for it iconic franchises – SpongeBob, Paw Patrol, Blue’s Clues, Baby Shark, Loud House – at its upfront presentation Thursday.
The kids network also showed off new titles, including Monster High and Transformers.
In addition to cable, Nickelodeon is a linchpin of parent company Paramount’s streaming efforts, with programming on Paramount Plus and Pluto TV.
“As consumer behaviors and the family dynamic shifted, we went all in on meeting kids on every platform they’re embracing, especially streaming on Paramount Plus, where our considerable library and originals like Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, Star Trek: Prodigy and Big Nate drive significant audiences to the platform,” said Brian Robbins, president and CEO of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon, as well as chief content officer, movies and kids & family for Paramount Plus.
“At the same time, we’ve kept a strong focus on linear, where longstanding favorites like Danger Force and new hits like The Patrick Star Show have kept us owning the top shows and the overall kids 2-11 space for nine years and counting.”
Nickelodeon animation has more than 40 projects in active production, including series and movies. Projects include Face’s Music Party, featuring Nick Jr.’s face mascot, Bossy Bear and HexVet. Big Nate, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Middlemost Post and Are You Afraid of the Dark? Have been renewed.
SpongeBob SquarePants is back for a 14th season of 26 episodes. The network also ordered more episodes of spinoffs Kamp Koral and The Patrick Star Show. There will also be three movies from Bikini Bottom on Paramount Plus and a theatrical release is in development.
Signer Cardi B will be joining Baby Shark’s Big Show, lending her voice to a character called Sharki B. The episode will premiere April 15. Sharki B’s song from the episode, The Seaweed Sway, will be featured on Nick Jr.’s compilation album, Sing, Dance & Sway the Nick Jr. Way, which will be available on digital streaming platforms including iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, and Pandora on April 8.
A Nick music label is in the works.
Nickelodeon is beginning production of a live-action version of The Loud House that will premiere later this year on Paramount Plus.
Coming off its broadcast of NFL Wild Card Playoff games and its NFL Slimetime, the channel is swinging into golf with the Nickelodeon Slime Cup, with pro golfers teaming up with Nick show stars for a messy competition. ■
