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Nicktoons (American TV channel)
American digital cable and satellite television network From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Nicktoons (formerly Nicktoons TV and Nicktoons Network) is an American pay television channel owned by the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Skydance. Launched on May 1, 2002, the channel is geared towards children aged 7 to 11,[1] and serves as an extension of the eponymous brand used by Nickelodeon for its original animated programming.
As of December 2023[update], Nicktoons is available to approximately 43 million pay television households in the United States, down from its peak of 69 million households in 2013.[2]
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History
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 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2023) |
Nicktoons launched on May 1, 2002, as Nicktoons TV. It was part of the digital cable–exclusive MTV Networks Digital Suite, in order to entice cable operators to pick up the network and give them a marketing advantage over satellite services.[citation needed] However, by early 2004, Nickelodeon management changed course and offered it to digital satellite services DirecTV and Dish Network. The network was originally marketed as commercial-free, with comedic promos involving Nickelodeon Animation Studios, two-minute cartoon shorts from foreign markets, and former program promotions that had previously been used on Nickelodeon taking up commercial time. By September 23, 2005, as the network's distribution increased, it began to carry regular advertising.[citation needed]
On September 28, 2009, the network's logo changed as part of Nickelodeon's universal rebranding effort.[3] A high-definition feed was launched on August 13, 2013, and is available on several providers.[4][5] Like Viacom's other HD channels, any programming produced in 4:3 SD is pillarboxed on this feed. As the network blended in more Nickelodeon programming into its schedule, the Nicktoons website was sunset to a parking page directing viewers to Nick.com before it was eventually redirected quietly to the latter website.
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On January 1, 2024, Nicktoons (along with TeenNick) rebranded to use the refreshed Splat logo and new on-air interstitials, similar to Nickelodeon back in March 4, 2023. This refresh also changes the color for "toons" from blue to green-cyan.
As part of Paramount's efforts to honor the 25th anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants, Nicktoons began to primarily run only SpongeBob and associated media daily beginning on May 13, 2024, promoted as "Non-Stop SpongeBob. All Day. Every Day." Repeat airings of new episodes of Nickelodeon's other animated series returned to Nicktoons later in the year. On May 23, 2025, Nicktoons temporarily rebranded itself as NickSpongeBob, following a trend set by the British and Irish version of the channel starting from 2022, during airings of SpongeBob shows, focusing exclusively on broadcasting content from the franchise throughout the summer. The channel returned to Nicktoons on September 8th, 2025.
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Programming
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| This section needs additional citations for verification. (October 2024) |
Since its inception, Nicktoons mainly aired programs carried over from the main Nickelodeon channel, with some occasional airing of Nickelodeon's live-action programming depending on Viacom's programming direction at the time.
Beginning in the mid-2000s, many older shows, such as Rocko's Modern Life and CatDog, were removed from the schedule as more acquired programming and Nicktoons Network originals were premiering. Many of these programs were phased out in the early-2010s, with some having different reasons, for example, Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes, Iron Man: Armored Adventures, and Wolverine and the X-Men were effectively cancelled when The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Studios in 2009.
Historically, episodes of under-performing Nickelodeon programs, including original shows and acquisitions, have been burned off on the Nicktoons channel. Some first run shows include The Angry Beavers, As Told By Ginger, Back at the Barnyard, Breadwinners, Bunsen Is a Beast, CatDog, Fanboy & Chum Chum, season 10 of The Fairly OddParents, Harvey Beaks, Invader Zim, It's Pony, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, The Legend of Korra, Making Fiends, The Mighty B!, My Life as a Teenage Robot, The Penguins of Madagascar, Monsters vs. Aliens, Pig Goat Banana Cricket, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, Planet Sheen, Robot and Monster, T.U.F.F. Puppy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012), and Welcome to the Wayne. Some acquired shows that were moved over and finished their runs on the network include Alvinnn!!! and the Chipmunks, Ollie's Pack and Rabbids Invasion (though the latter series moved to Netflix for its fourth and final season).
NickSports
On September 3, 2014, a two-hour Wednesday prime time programming block named NickSports was launched on the channel, tying into the Kids' Choice Sports inaugurated that year.[6] The block presented mainly licensed programming focusing on sports, including the Rob Dyrdek-starring Wild Grinders and NFL Rush Zone: Guardians of the Core, along with sports-related feature films such as Bend It Like Beckham, Cool Runnings, and Space Jam.[6] Sometime in 2015, the block was moved to a Friday prime time slot. The block ended in September 2018.
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International versions
Active channels
- UK & Ireland – launched on 22 July 2002
- Netherlands – launched in August 2, 2007
- Germany – launched in March 2010
- Africa – launched on September 30, 2014
- Scandinavia – launched on February 1, 2017
- Arabia – launched on February 15, 2017
- Turkey – launched on February 20, 2017
- Poland – launched on 15 February 2018
- Hungary & Romania – launched on 15 April 2019
- Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Albania - launched on 14 July 2020
- Australia - launched on 1 August 2023 (FAST channel on 10Play)
- Canada - launched on December 22, 2023 (FAST channel on Pluto TV)
- France - launched on 15 July 2025, replacing Nickelodeon Teen[7][8]
Defunct channels
- Latin America – launched on February 4, 2013, and closed down in late 2020, being replaced in major cable providers by the US feed of NickMusic
Branding
From 2005 until 2009, Nicktoons Network branded itself as the "Animation Capital of the World" (or "ACOW") in advertisements for the channel.[9] [10] Various mascots were seen in promotional bumpers, including the Three Headed Monster.[11][12] Around this time, the Nicktoons Network website introduced an animated robot character with a large singular eye, animated using "photo-puppetry."[13][14]
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See also
Notes
References
External links
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