Nickelodeon

Last updated

Nickelodeon
Logo used since 2023 [a]
CountryUnited States
Broadcast areaNationwide
Headquarters One Astor Plaza
New York City, New York, U.S.
Programming
Language(s)
  • English
  • Spanish (via SAP audio track)
Picture format 1080i HDTV (downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
Owner Paramount Media Networks
Parent Nickelodeon Group
Sister channels
History
FoundedDecember 1, 1977;47 years ago (1977-12-01)
LaunchedApril 1, 1979;45 years ago (1979-04-01)
FounderVivian Horner
Former namesC-3 (1977–1979)
Links
Website nick.com
Availability
(channel space shared with nighttime programming block Nick at Nite)
Streaming media
Affiliated Streaming Service Paramount+
Internet Protocol television Philo, FuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream, Spectrum, Vidgo

Nickelodeon (occasionally shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through Paramount Media Networks' subdivision, Nickelodeon Group. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children, the channel is primarily aimed at children and adolescents aged 2 to 17, [1] along with a broader family audience through its program blocks.

Contents

The channel began life as a test broadcast on December 1, 1977, [2] as part of QUBE, [3] an early cable television system broadcast locally in Columbus, Ohio. [4] The channel, now named Nickelodeon, launched to a new nationwide audience on April 1, 1979, [5] with Pinwheel as its inaugural program. [4] The network was initially commercial-free and remained without advertising until 1984. Nickelodeon gained a new facelift regarding programming and image that fall, and its ensuing success led to it and its sister networks MTV and VH1 being sold to Viacom in 1985. [6] [7]

Nickelodeon has expanded its franchise through several sister channels and programming blocks. Nick Jr. launched as preschool morning block on January 4, 1988, and was eventually spun-off into a separate channel in 2009. Nicktoons, based on the flagship brand for original animated series, launched as a standalone channel in 2002. Noggin, an interactive educational brand created in partnership with Sesame Workshop, existed as a channel from 1999 to 2009 and as a mobile streaming service from 2015 to 2024. Two blocks aimed at teenage audiences, Nickelodeon's TEENick and Noggin's The N, were merged to form the TeenNick channel in 2009.

As of December 2023, Nickelodeon is available to approximately 70 million pay television households in the United States, down from its peak of 101 million households in 2011. [8]

Evolution of Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon 2023 logo (outline).svg
1977 Pinwheel broadcasts on Qube
1979 Nickelodeon is launched by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment
1984Nickelodeon introduces its Balloon font logo
1985 Nick at Nite is launched
1986 Double Dare premieres; Viacom gains full ownership of the network
1987 The Big Ballot (later known as the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards ) premieres
1988The programming block Nick Jr. is launched
1991Nickelodeon debuted their "Nicktoons" brand with Doug , Rugrats and Ren & Stimpy premiering
1992The programming block SNICK was launched
1994Nickelodeon launches The Big Help
1996Nickelodeon released its first feature-length film in theaters, Harriet the Spy
1996 Blue's Clues premieres on Nick Jr.
1999 Noggin, a joint venture with Sesame Workshop, is launched
1999 SpongeBob SquarePants premieres
2000 Dora the Explorer premieres on Nick Jr.
2001 TEENick is launched
2002 The N is launched on Noggin and the Nicktoons channel is launched
2005Nickelodeon premieres Avatar: The Last Airbender
2009Nickelodeon goes through a major rebrand: TEENick and The N merged to form TeenNick, Noggin was replaced by the Nick Jr. Channel, and Nicktoons Network became Nicktoons
2009Nickelodeon acquired the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise
2010Nickelodeon began co-producing the Winx Club franchise
2012 Viacom and DirecTV have a contract dispute, causing Nickelodeon to be taken off the service for several days while an agreement was reached.
2015Nickelodeon revived Noggin as a streaming service
2019Nickelodeon acquires Paws, Inc. & the rights to Garfield (except for the first three shows and the movies.)
2023Nickelodeon introduced a new take on their classic splat branding
2024Noggin shut down

History

The channel's name comes from the first five-cent movie theaters called nickelodeons. Its history dates back to December 1, 1977, when Warner Cable Communications launched the first 2-way interactive cable system, QUBE, [3] in Columbus, Ohio. The C-3 cable channel carried Pinwheel daily from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, [3] [9] and the channel was labelled "Pinwheel" on remote controllers, as it was the only program broadcast. Initially scheduled for a February 1979 launch, [10] Nickelodeon launched on April 1, 1979, initially distributed to Warner Cable systems via satellite on the RCA Satcom-1 transponder (the owner of the satellite, RCA Americom, later became GE Americom as a result of General Electric's acquisition of RCA Americom's parent company, RCA Corporation, before merging with Luxembourg-based Société Européenne des Satellites to form SES Global, now SES, which one of the ancestors of the Satcom series, the SES and AMC satellite constellations, still operate, Nickelodeon presently broadcasts on AMC-11). [11] Originally commercial-free, advertising was introduced in January 1984. [6]

Programming

Programming seen on Nickelodeon includes animated series (such as SpongeBob SquarePants , The Loud House , Middlemost Post , The Patrick Star Show , Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years , The Smurfs , Rugrats and Monster High ), live-action, scripted series (such as Danger Force , Tyler Perry's Young Dylan and That Girl Lay Lay ), and original made-for-TV movies, while the network's daytime schedule is dedicated to shows targeting preschoolers (such as Bubble Guppies , Paw Patrol , and Blue's Clues & You! ).

Logo used since September 2009. Concurrently used with the 2023 logo since March 2023. Nickelodeon 2009 logo.svg
Logo used since September 2009. Concurrently used with the 2023 logo since March 2023.

A re-occurring program was bi-monthly special editions of Nick News with Linda Ellerbee , [12] a news magazine series aimed at children that debuted in 1992 as a weekly series and ended in 2015. [13] In June 2020, Nickelodeon announced that they would bring back Nick News in a series of hour-long specials. The first installment, Kids, Race and Unity: A Nick News Special premiered on June 29, 2020, and was hosted by R&B musician Alicia Keys. [14]

Since 2021, Nickelodeon has aired at least one live National Football League game a year, produced by corporate sibling CBS Sports and incorporating elements unique to Nickelodeon into the broadcast such as green slime in the end zone and SpongeBob SquarePants' face superimposed on the netting of the goalposts. Nickelodeon also carries the weekly shoulder program NFL Slimetime during the season which includes similar graphics. [15] Nickelodeon offered the first alternate broadcast of a Super Bowl in 2024 when it aired a SpongeBob SquarePants -themed simulcast of CBS' coverage. [16]

Nicktoons

Nicktoons is the branding for Nickelodeon's original animated television series. [17] [18] Until 1991, the animated series that aired on Nickelodeon were largely imported from foreign countries, with some original animated specials that were also featured on the channel up to that point. [19] [20] Though the Nicktoons branding has infrequently been used by the network itself since the 2002 launch of the channel of the same name, original animated series continue to make up a substantial portion of Nickelodeon's lineup. [18] Roughly, six to seven hours of these programs are seen on the weekday schedule, and around nine hours on weekends, including a dedicated weekend morning animation block. [19]

In 2006, the channel struck a deal with DreamWorks Animation to develop the studio's animated films into television series (such as The Penguins of Madagascar ). [21] Since the early 2010s, Nickelodeon Animation Studio has also produced series based on preexisting IP purchased by Paramount, such as Winx Club and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles .

Movies

Nickelodeon has produced a variety of original made-for-TV movies, which usually premiere in weekend evening timeslots or on school holidays. Nickelodeon also periodically acquires theatrically released feature films for broadcast on the channel.

The channel occasionally airs feature films produced by the network's Nickelodeon Movies film production division (whose films are distributed by sister company Paramount Pictures). Although the film division bears the Nickelodeon brand name, the channel does not have access to most of the movies produced by its film unit. The majority of the live-action feature films produced under the Nickelodeon Movies banner are licensed for broadcast by various free-to-air and pay television outlets within the United States other than Nickelodeon (although the network has aired a few live-action Nickelodeon Movies releases such as Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging and Good Burger ).

Nickelodeon also advertises hour-long episodes of its original series as movies;[ citation needed ] though the "TV movie" versions of Nickelodeon's original series differ from traditional television films in that they have shorter running times (approximately 45 minutes, as opposed to 75–100 minute run times that most television movies have), and use a traditional multi-camera setup for regular episodes (unless the program is originally shot in the single-camera setup common of films) with some on-location filming.

In 2002, Nickelodeon entered a long-standing broadcast partnership with Mattel to air films and specials based on the toy company's Barbie (and later Monster High) dolls. The first Barbie movie to air on Nickelodeon was Barbie as Rapunzel on November 24, 2002. [22] The Barbie and Monster High films are usually aired under a brokered format in which Mattel purchases the time in order to promote the release of their films on DVD within a few days of the Nickelodeon premiere, an arrangement possible as Nickelodeon does not have to meet the Federal Communications Commission rules which disallow that arrangement for broadcast channels due to regulations banning paid programming to children.

Programming blocks

Current

  • Nick Jr. – Nickelodeon currently broadcasts shows targeted at preschool-aged children on Monday through Fridays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time (7:00 to 10:00 a.m. during the summer months, other designated school break periods, and on national holidays). The block primarily targets audiences of preschool age as Nickelodeon's usual audience of school-aged children are in school during the block's designated time period. Programs currently seen in this block include Paw Patrol , Peppa Pig (from the UK), Blaze and the Monster Machines , Ryan's Mystery Playdate , Blue's Clues & You! , Santiago of the Seas , and Baby Shark's Big Show! .
  • Nick at Nite – Nickelodeon's nighttime programming service, [23] which premiered on July 1, 1985, and broadcasts from prime time to early morning (the block's air time varies each night). Originally featured classic sitcoms from the 1950s and 1960s such as The Donna Reed Show , [23] Mr. Ed and Lassie , programming eventually shifted towards repeats of popular sitcoms from the 1980s to the 2000s such as Home Improvement , The Cosby Show and Roseanne . [24] In 1996, a pay television channel, TV Land (formerly Nick at Nite's TV Land, until 1997) based on the block, launched with a similar format of programs. [25] Nick at Nite has also occasionally incorporated original scripted and competition series, with some in recent years produced through its parent network's Nickelodeon Productions unit. As of 2021, programming on Nick at Nite consists entirely of acquired shows such as Full House , Friends , Mom and Young Sheldon . Since 2004, Nielsen has broken out the television ratings of Nick at Nite and Nickelodeon as two separate networks. [24]

Former

  • SNICK – "SNICK" (short for "Saturday Night Nickelodeon") was the network's first dedicated Saturday primetime block that aired from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time. Geared toward preteens and teenagers, it debuted on August 15, 1992 (with the initial lineup featuring two established series that originally aired on Sundays, Clarissa Explains It All and The Ren & Stimpy Show , and two new series, Roundhouse and Are You Afraid of the Dark? ). The block mainly featured live-action series (primarily comedies), although it periodically featured animated series. SNICK was discontinued on January 29, 2005, and was replaced the following week (February 5, 2005) by a Saturday night edition of the TEENick block.
  • Nick in the Afternoon – "Nick in the Afternoon" was a daytime block that ran on weekday afternoons during the summer months from 1995 to 1997, and aired in an extended format until December for its final year in 1998. It was hosted by Stick Stickly, a Mr. Bill-like popsicle stick character (puppeteered by Rick Lyon and voiced by actor Paul Christie, who would later voice the Noggin mascot Moose A. Moose). The block was replaced for Summer 1999 by "Henry and June's Summer" (hosted by the animated hosts of the anthology series KaBlam! ). From 2011 to 2012, Stick Stickly returns to television for TeenNick's "The '90s Are All That" to host "U-Pick with Stick" on Friday nights as a concept of user-chosen programming.
  • U-Pick Live – "U-Pick Live" (originally branded as "U-Pick Friday" from 1999 to late 2000, and originally hosted by the Henry and June characters from KaBlam!) was a block that aired weekday afternoons from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time from October 14, 2002, to May 27, 2005, which was broadcast from studios in New York City's Times Square district, where Nickelodeon is headquartered. Using a similar concept that originated in 1994 with the Nick in the Afternoon block, "U-Pick Live" allowed viewer interaction in selecting the programs (usually cartoons) that would air on the block via voting on the network's website.
  • TEENick – "TEENick" was a teenage-oriented block that ran from March 4, 2001, to February 1, 2009, which ran on Sundays from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time; a secondary block on Saturdays launched in 2005, taking over the 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific timeslot long held by SNICK. It was originally hosted by Nick Cannon, and then by Jason Everhart (aka "J. Boogie"). Beginning in January 2007, Noggin's own teenage-targeted block The N ran a spin-off block called "TEENick on The N." The TEENick name, which was removed on February 1, 2009, later became the name of the channel TeenNick on September 28, 2009.
  • ME:TV – "ME:TV" was a short-lived live hosted afternoon block that ran during summer 2007, which ran on weekday afternoons from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific Time.
  • Nick Saturday Nights – a primetime live-action block airing from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time. It was introduced on September 22, 2012, as Gotta See Saturday Nights. Recent episodes of certain original series may air when no new episodes are scheduled to air that week. Premieres of the network's original made-for-TV movies also occasionally aired during the primetime block, usually in the form of premiere showings. Saturday premieres were discontinued for the time being on December 11, 2021.
  • Nick Studio 10 – "Nick Studio 10" was a short-lived late afternoon programming block that ran from February 18 to June 17, 2013, which ran weekdays from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time. The block featured wraparound segments based on episodes of the network's animated series, which were shown in an off-the-clock schedule due to the segments that aired following each program's individual acts.
  • That New Thursday Night – a live-action comedy block airing from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time. The schedule features Danger Force, Tyler Perry's Young Dylan , That Girl Lay Lay , The Really Loud House, and Erin & Aaron (all first-run episodes are cycled on the schedule, giving it a variable schedule). It was discontinued on June 29, 2023.
  • AfterToons – an animation block airing weekday afternoons and featuring new episodes of a rotating selection of Nickelodeon animated series. The series featured are SpongeBob SquarePants , The Loud House , The Patrick Star Show , Big Nate , Rugrats , and The Smurfs . It was discontinued on November 24, 2023.

Special events

  • Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards – The Kids' Choice Awards are a 90-minute-long annual live awards show held on the fourth Saturday night in March (formerly the first Saturday in April until 2008, but returned in 2011). The award show (whose winners are selected by Nickelodeon viewers though voting on the channel's website and through text messaging) honors popular television series and movies, actors, athletes and music acts, with winners receiving a hollow orange blimp figurine (one of the logo outlines used for much of the network's "splat logo" era from 1984 to 2009).
  • Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports – A spin-off of the Kids' Choice Awards, "Kids Choice Sports" is held in July with the same KCA voting procedures and differing categories for team sports and athlete achievements for the past year (featuring categories such as "Best Male Athlete", "Best Female Athlete", "King Of Swag", and "Queen Of Swag"), along with the award featuring a sports-specific purple mohawk. Its inaugural ceremony aired on July 17, 2014.
  • Nickelodeon HALO Awards – The HALO Awards features five ordinary teens who are Helping And Leading Others (HALO). Its inaugural ceremony aired on December 11, 2009. The awards show is hosted by Nick Cannon and airs on Nickelodeon and TeenNick every November/December until 2017.
  • Worldwide Day of Play – The "Worldwide Day of Play" is an annual event held on a Saturday afternoon in late September that began on October 2, 2004, to mark the conclusion of the "Let's Just Play" campaign launched that year, which are both designed to influence kids to exercise and participate in outdoor activities; schools and educational organizations are also encouraged to host local events to promote activity among children during the event. Nickelodeon and its sister channels (except for the Pacific and Mountain Time Zone feeds and the Nick 2 Pacific feed that is distributed to the Eastern and Central Time Zones), some of the network's international channels and associated websites are suspended (with a message encouraging viewers to participate in outdoor activities during the period) from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time on the day of the event. [26] Since 2010, the Worldwide Day of Play event became part of The Big Help program, as part of an added focus on healthy lifestyles in addition to the program's main focus on environmental issues.

Blocks on broadcast networks

  • Untitled UPN block – In 1998, Viacom's UPN entered into discussions with the network to produce a new block, but nothing ultimately materialized. [27]
  • Nickelodeon en Telemundo – On November 9, 1998, Telemundo introduced a daily block of Spanish dubs of Nickelodeon's series (such as Rugrats , Aaahh!!! Real Monsters , Hey Arnold! , Rocko's Modern Life , and Blue's Clues ); the weekday edition of the block ran until September 5, 2000, when it was relegated to weekends in order to make room for the morning news program Hoy En El Mundo. Nickelodeon's contract with Telemundo ended in November 2001, after the network was acquired by NBC, though certain programs would return in 2004 as part of the Telemundo Kids block.
The former Nick on CBS logo used until its discontinuation in 2004. Nick on CBS.svg
The former Nick on CBS logo used until its discontinuation in 2004.

Current sister channels

Nick Jr. Channel

Nick Jr. Channel (sometimes shortened to Nick Jr.) is a pay television network aimed mainly at children between 2 and 6 years of age. It features a mix of current and former preschool-oriented programs from Nickelodeon, as well as some shows that are exclusive to the channel. The Nick Jr. Channel launched on September 28, 2009, as a spin-off of Nickelodeon's preschool programming block of the same name, which had aired since January 4, 1988. [28] The channel replaced Noggin, which was relaunched as a streaming service in 2015 and acts as a separate sister brand. Noggin's programming is distinct from the Nick Jr. channel's; it mainly carried preteen-oriented programs at its launch, [29] and its 2015 streaming service features a variety of exclusive series. On October 1, 2012, the Nick Jr. Channel introduced NickMom, a four-hour nighttime block aimed at parents, [30] which ran until September 28, 2015. [31] [32] While traditional advertising appeared on the channel during the NickMom block, the network otherwise only runs programming promotions and underwriter-style sponsorships in lieu of regular commercials.

Nicktoons

Nicktoons is a pay television network that launched on May 1, 2002, [28] as Nicktoons TV; it was renamed Nicktoons in April 2003 and rebranded as Nicktoons Network in September 2005 before reverting to its previous name in September 2009. The network airs a mix of newer live-action and animated shows from Nickelodeon such as Henry Danger , The Fairly OddParents , The Loud House , SpongeBob SquarePants , and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles alongside original series airing exclusively on Nicktoons.

TeenNick

TeenNick is a pay television network that is aimed at adolescents and young adults, named after the TEENick block that aired on Nickelodeon from March 2001 [33] to February 2009. The channel merged programming from the TEENick block with The N, a former block on Noggin. Although TeenNick has more relaxed program standards than the other Nickelodeon channels (save for Nick at Nite and the NickMom block on Nick Jr.) – allowing for moderate profanity, suggestive dialogue and some violent content – the network has shifted its lineup almost exclusively towards current and former Nickelodeon series (including some that are burned off due to low ratings on the flagship channel) that have stricter content standards. It also airs some acquired sitcoms and drama series.

NickMusic

NickMusic
CountryUnited States
Broadcast areaNationwide
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format 480i 4:3 (SDTV) presented in 16:9 letterbox
Ownership
OwnerParamount Media Networks
ParentNickelodeon Group
History
LaunchedMay 1, 2002;22 years ago (2002-05-01)
Former namesMTV Hits (2002–2016)

NickMusic is a pay television network in the United States featuring music videos from arists appealing to Nickelodeon's target audience. It launched on the channel space formerly held by MTV Hits on September 9, 2016.

Like its sibling music video-only networks BET Jams, BET Soul, and CMT Music, NickMusic is based on an automated "wheel" schedule that was introduced during the early years of MTV2. A new loop starts at 6 a.m. Eastern Time, and is then repeated at 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. Lyric videos are sometimes substituted due to content concerns with the artist's actual music video.

Final logo for MTV Hits from March 26, 2012 until September 9, 2016. MTV Hits Logo 2012.png
Final logo for MTV Hits from March 26, 2012 until September 9, 2016.

The network launched on May 1, 2002 as MTV Hits, with its programming composed entirely of music videos. As with MTV Jams, the network was named for a daily program on MTV; in this case, MTV Hits, which was that network's main pop music video program. The network composed of current hit music videos, along with a few older videos from earlier in the year, as well as a few from the late 1990s. As both MTV Hits and NickMusic, the network has maintained a commercial-free format, other than internal promotions for Nickelodeon or MTV and MTV-branded properties.

The network has no individual or original programs; TeenNick Top 10, a program shared with TeenNick, was cancelled in mid-2018. In electronic program listings, the titles of each 'block' merely delineate an hour in those listings and outside those titles denoting video theming, have no on-air mention. The network's specific theming to younger pop artists has also been underplayed as of 2024, due to various cuts at Paramount Global and the network's complete disassociation from further developing "triple threat" stars due to personnel and industry changes.

Former sister channels

Nick 2 logo (2010).svg

Other services

ServiceDescription
Nickelodeon HD.svg
Nickelodeon HD
Nickelodeon HD is the high-definition simulcast feed of Nickelodeon that broadcasts in the 1080i resolution format; the feed launched on November 14, 2007 [37] and first began broadcasting content in high-definition on March 9, 2008. [38] Most of the network's original series since 2008 – mainly its live-action series and some animated content – as well as episodes of programs carried by Nick at Nite (that were either natively produced in HD after 2000 or were remastered in high definition) are broadcast in HD, along with feature films, Nickelodeon original movies made after 2005 and select episodes, films and series produced before 2008. Other programs unavailable in HD broadcast in pillarboxed 4:3 standard definition. The network's HD content airs with letterboxing on the standard definition channel, and since 2015, many subscription providers carry the high-definition feed and downscale it for the standard-definition feed, broadcasting in 16:9 letterboxed to fit the 4:3 ratio.
Nick on DemandNick on Demand is the network's video-on-demand service, which is available on most subscription providers. It carries Nickelodeon's live-action, animated and preschool programming. Nick at Nite has no on-demand service due to daypart-defined contractual limits for its programming, as its programs are exclusive to an evening timeslot.
Noggin Noggin launched as a TV channel in a partnership with Sesame Workshop on February 2, 1999. It has transformed into an educational mobile app aimed at preschoolers. The app launched on March 5, 2015. [39]
Nick Pluto TVLaunched May 1, 2019, Nick Pluto is one of several free versions of ViacomCBS channels that were introduced on Pluto TV shortly after Viacom acquired the advertiser-supported service in January 2019. It carries mostly archival programs from Nickelodeon's library. Nick Jr. programming is its separate channel, while Nick at Nite programming is instead put under the TV Land branding, and only includes syndicated programming Paramount Global has full day rights to. Pluto TV used to carry additional Nickelodeon-branded networks, among them NickGames (containing the network's game show and reality competition library), and NickMovies (featuring movies produced by Nickelodeon), along with single full-time channels carrying one series and limited-run channels timed to an event or holiday. [40]
Paramount+ The streaming service of Paramount Global, Paramount+ houses much of Nickelodeon's library, adding productions from the "classic" era such as You Can't Do That on Television and Double Dare following its rebrand from CBS All Access in 2021. [41]

Production studios

Nickelodeon Animation Studio

Nickelodeon Animation Studio (formerly Games Productions, Inc.) is a production firm with two main locations (one in Burbank, California, and the other in New York City). [42] They serve as the animation facilities for many of the network's Nicktoons and Nick Jr. series.

Nickelodeon Productions

Nickelodeon Productions is a production studio in New York, that provides original sitcoms, animated shows and game-related programs for Nickelodeon. Despite this, the studio's logo is also seen at the end of animated TV shows. It was founded as Games Productions in 1987, after MTV Networks was purchased by Viacom. [43]

Nickelodeon on Sunset

Nickelodeon on Sunset was a studio complex in Hollywood, California which served as the primary production facility for Nickelodeon's series from 1997 until 2017; the studio is designated by the National Register for Historic Places as a historical landmark as a result of its prior existence as the Earl Carroll Theater, a prominent dinner theater. It served as the production facilities for several Nickelodeon series.

Media

Nickelodeon Games

Nickelodeon Games (formerly Nick Games from 2002 to 2009, from 1997 to 2002, Nickelodeon Software, and from 1993 to 1997, Nickelodeon Interactive) is the video gaming division of Nickelodeon. It was originally a part of Viacom Consumer Products, with early games being published by Viacom New Media. [44] They started a long-standing relationship with game publisher THQ. THQ's relationship with the network started off when THQ published their Ren & Stimpy game for Nintendo consoles in 1992, [45] followed by a full-fledged console deal in 1998 with several Rugrats titles, [46] and expanded in 2001, when THQ acquired some of the assets from Mattel Interactive, namely the computer publishing rights, and all video game rights to The Wild Thornberrys . [47] Nickelodeon also worked, alongside THQ on an original game concept, Tak and the Power of Juju . [48]

Nick.com

Nick.com is Nickelodeon's main website, which launched in October 1995 as a component of America Online's Kids Only channel before eventually moving to the full World Wide Web. [49] It provides content, as well as video clips and full episodes of Nickelodeon series available for streaming. The website's popularity grew to the point where in March 1999, Nick.com became the highest rated website among children aged 6–14 years old. Nickelodeon used the website in conjunction with television programs which increased traffic. [50] In 2001, Nickelodeon partnered with Networks Inc. to provide broadband video games for rent from Nick.com; the move was a further step in the multimedia direction that the developers wanted to take the website. Skagerlind indicated that over 50% of Nick.com's audience were using a high speed connection, which allowed them to expand the gaming and video streaming options on the website. [51]

Mobile apps

Nickelodeon released a free mobile app for smartphones and tablet computers operating on the Apple and Android platforms in February 2013. [52] Like Nick.com, a TV Everywhere login code provided by participating subscription providers is required to view individual episodes of the network's series. In December 2023, it was announced the app will be discontinued. [53]

Nickelodeon Movies

Nickelodeon Movies is a motion picture production unit that was founded in 1995, as a family entertainment arm of Paramount Pictures (owned by Nickelodeon's corporate parent, Paramount Global). [54] The first film released from the studio was the 1996 mystery/comedy Harriet the Spy . [55] Nickelodeon Movies has produced films based on Nickelodeon animated programs including The Rugrats Movie and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie , as well as other adaptations and original live-action and animated projects.

Nickelodeon Magazine

Nickelodeon Magazine was a print magazine that was launched in 1993; the channel had previously published a short-lived magazine effort in 1990. Nickelodeon Magazine incorporated informative non-fiction pieces, humor (including pranks and parodical pieces), interviews, recipes (such as green slime cake), and a comic book section in the center of each issue featuring original comics by leading underground cartoonists as well as strips about popular Nicktoons. [56] It ceased publication after 16 years in December 2009, citing a sluggish magazine industry. [57] A new version of the magazine was published by Papercutz from June 2015 [58] to mid-2016.

Nick Radio

Nick Radio was a radio network that launched on September 30, 2013, in a partnership between both the network and iHeartMedia (then called Clear Channel Communications), which distributed the network mainly via its iHeartRadio web platform and mobile app. Its programming was also streamed via the Nick.com website and on New York City radio station WHTZ as a secondary HD channel. Nick Radio focused on Top 40 and pop music (geared towards the network's target audience of children, with radio edits of some songs incorporated due to inappropriate content), along with celebrity interview features. In addition to regular on-air DJs, Nick Radio also occasionally featured guest DJ stints by popular artists as well as stars from Nickelodeon's original series. [59] [60] [61]

Nick Radio shut down without warning on July 31, 2019, and was replaced by Hit Nation Junior, likely due to the network's general failure to establish any sustained "triple threat" artists/actors throughout the 2010s, along with the general failure of the children's-only radio format in the streaming age.

Themed experiences and hotels

Nickelodeon Universe

Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America is the first indoor Nickelodeon theme park in the United States. Before being re-themed to Nickelodeon in 2007, the park was themed as "Camp Snoopy" and "The Park at MoA." The theme park contains a variety of Nickelodeon-themed rides, including: SpongeBob SquarePants: Rock Bottom Plunge, Fairly Odd Coaster, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shell Shock.

Nickelodeon and Triple Five Group opened a second Nickelodeon Universe theme park in the American Dream Meadowlands complex on October 25, 2019. [62] Upon opening, it became the largest indoor theme park in the western hemisphere, unseating the Mall of America's Nickelodeon Universe which had the title from 2008 to 2019. [63]

On August 18, 2009, Nickelodeon and Southern Star Amusements announced that it would build a Nickelodeon Universe in New Orleans, Louisiana on the site of the former Six Flags New Orleans by the end of 2010, [64] which was set to be the first outdoor Nickelodeon Universe theme park. On November 9, 2009, Nickelodeon announced that it had ended the licensing agreement with Southern Star Amusements. [65] [66]

Theme park areas

Current attractions

Closed areas

Nickelodeon Studios as viewed from the Hard Rock Cafe in March 2004 before it closed Nickelodeon Studios in Hard Rock Cafe.jpg
Nickelodeon Studios as viewed from the Hard Rock Cafe in March 2004 before it closed

Hotel brands

Cruises

International

Between 1993 and 1995, Nickelodeon opened international channels in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany; by the later year, the network had provided its programming to broadcasters in 70 countries. Since the mid-1990s and early 2000s, Nickelodeon as a brand has expanded into include language- or culture-specific channels for various other territories in different parts of the world including Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Canada, and has licensed some of its cartoons and other content, in English and local languages, to free-to-air networks and subscription channels such as KI.KA and Super RTL in Germany, RTÉ Two (English language) and TG4 (Irish language) in Ireland, YTV (in English) and Vrak.TV (in French, defunct) in Canada, Canal J in France, Alpha Kids in Greece, CNBC-e in Turkey and Network 10's localised version of Nickelodeon in Australia.

Notes

  1. The logo's wordmark has been in use since September 2009. Additionally, this logo is a variant meant to be used for white backgrounds; the main variant has a white wordmark in conjunction with a fully orange splat.

See also

Related Research Articles

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