Nickelodeon, whose linear ratings continue to tumble, has formed a multi-year deal to produce kids’ programming for Netflix.
Nickelodeon’s ratings began to slide in 2011 and at the time, analysts attributed some of the decline to the availability of Nickelodeon programming on Netflix. Viacom management at the time thought the drop was more likely caused by issues at Nielsen rather than streaming, which at the time was still new.
Now streaming accounts for a big reason why linear ratings are down and cord cutting is accelerating. For the week of Oct. 28, ratings for Nickelodeon was down 29%, according to analyst Todd Juenger of Sanford C. Bernstein
Netflix and Nickelodeon have continued to work together leading up to this new deal. Netflix already has bought animated specials featuring Nick titles including Rocko’s Modern Life and Invader Zim. Upcoming are specials based on The Loud House and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The new deal includes original feature films and TV series, some based on existing Nick characters and some entirely new.
“Nickelodeon has generated scores of characters that kids love, and we look forward to telling wholly original stories that re-imagine and expand on the worlds they inhabit,” said Netflix VP of original animation, Melissa Cobb. “We’re thrilled to continue collaborating with Brian Robbins, Ramsey Naito, and the creative team at Nickelodeon in new ways as we look to find fresh voices and bring bold stories to our global audience on Netflix.”
