Nicktoons (American TV channel)
- English
- Spanish (via SAP audio track)
(downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
-
- Nickelodeon
- Nick Jr.
- TeenNick
- Nicktoons TV (2002–03)
- Nicktoons Network (2005–09)
Nicktoons[b] is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. The channel is geared towards children aged 7 to 11,[1] and currently exclusively broadcasts the Nicktoons animated series SpongeBob SquarePants.
As of December 2023[update], Nicktoons is available to approximately 43,000,000 pay television households in the United States-down from its 2013 peak of 69,000,000 households.[2]
History
Nicktoons was launched as a standalone channel on May 1, 2002, as Nicktoons TV, part of the digital cable-exclusive MTV 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 sunsetted, recommending viewers go to Nick.com instead before eventually being fully redirected to the Nick.com domain.
Programming
Since its inception, Nicktoons has mainly aired programs carried over from the main Nickelodeon channel. Despite its name, the channel does not exclusively air Nicktoons, and has occasionally aired some of Nickelodeon's live-action series, such as The Thundermans and Henry Danger. Due to Nickelodeon moving a lot of newer content to the channel, all the older Nicktoons, such as Hey Arnold! and The Ren & Stimpy Show, were removed from the schedule around 2009 to 2011, with Invader Zim being an occasional exception.
As of the summer of 2024, the network's entire schedule is exclusively episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants, promoted as Non-Stop SpongeBob. The episodes air in a random and unthemed order.
Since approximately 2006, Nickelodeon has used Nicktoons to burn-off the remaining episodes of under-performing shows. Including shows both acquired and initially created for the Nickelodeon channel. Some first run shows include As Told By Ginger, Back at the Barnyard, Breadwinners, Bunsen Is a Beast, Harvey Beaks, It's Pony, The Mighty B!, Pig Goat Banana Cricket, Planet Sheen, Robot and Monster, T.U.F.F. Puppy, and Welcome to the Wayne. The network also premiered season 10 of The Fairly OddParents.
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 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.
International versions
Active channels
- UK and Ireland – launched on 22 July 2002
- Netherlands – launched in 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 and 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)
Defunct channels
- France – launched on January 1, 2003, as a programming block on Canal J, rebranded as N-Toons on October 21, 2011, and closed down on July 31, 2015
- 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
- Russia – launched on December 12, 2018, and closed down on April 28, 2022 because of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
Mascot
From 2006 until 2009, Nicktoons Network used a robot mascot in bumpers and advertisements for the channel.[7] The mascot, named "ACOW," which stands for Animation Capital of the World, was a complex robot character with a large singular eye, animated using "photo-puppetry."[8] ACOW was prominently featured on the NicktoonsNetwork.com website[9] and was used as part of the "Nicktoons Network: Animation Capital of the World" logo.[10] Several similar-looking eyeball-based characters were seen in promos for the network.
See also
- Noggin
- N-Toons
- Nicktoonsters
- NickRewind
Notes
References
- ^ "Viacom". Viacom. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013.
- ^ "U.S. cable network households (universe), 1990 – 2023". wrestlenomics.com. May 14, 2024. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
- ^ Nickelodeon Unveils New Logo, Variety.com, July 29, 2009
- ^ "DIRECTV HD Channel Anticipation (Official Q3-13 Thread)". DBSTalk. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
- ^ "Official AVS National HD Channel Lineups – Cable/DBS/Fiber/IPTV – Updated 8/3/13". Archived from the original on August 10, 2013. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
- ^ a b Dickson, Jeremy (September 3, 2014). "Nicktoons adds weekly sports block". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications Ltd. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
- ^ "Nicktoons Network Homepage, 2009". nick.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2009.
- ^ "Nickelodeon's ACOW - www.maissito.com". maissito.com.
- ^ "2007/ACOW on Nicktoons – Carlos Ordonez". carlos-ordonez.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2015.
- ^ "Animation Capital of the World – Viacom". trademarkia.com.
External links
- 2016 Decider's Oral History of "Nicktoons" interviews with cast and crew
- v
- t
- e
- SpongeBob SquarePants (since 1999)
- CatDog (2002–05)
- Nicktoons Film Festival (2004–09)
- As Told by Ginger (2004–06)
- Kappa Mikey (2006–08)
- Invader Zim (2006)
- The Angry Beavers (2006)
- Edgar & Ellen (2007–10)
- Shorts in a Bunch (2007)
- Mr. Meaty (2007–09)
- Speed Racer: The Next Generation (2008–13)
- Ricky Sprocket: Showbiz Boy (2008–12)
- Three Delivery (2008–09)
- El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera (2008)
- My Life as a Teenage Robot (2008–09)
- Random! Cartoons (2008–09)
- Making Fiends (2008)
- Iron Man: Armored Adventures (2009–12)
- Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes (2009–12)
- Wolverine and the X-Men (2009)
- Domo TV (2009)
- Ape Escape (2009)
- NFL Rush Zone (2010–14)
- Hero Factory (2010–14)
- Zevo-3 (2010–11)
- The Mighty B! (2010–11)
- Voltron Force (2011–13)
- Back at the Barnyard (2011)
- Monsuno (2012–15)
- Wild Grinders (2012–15)
- Planet Sheen (2012–13)
- Huntik: Secrets & Seekers (2012–13)
- The Troop (2012–13)
- T.U.F.F. Puppy (2013–15)
- The Penguins of Madagascar (2013–15)
- Robot and Monster (2013–15)
- LBX: Little Battlers Experience (2014–16)
- You Gotta See This (2014)
- BrainSurge (2014)
- Game Changers with Kevin Frazier (2015)
- Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness (2016)
- Max & Shred (2016)
- Get Blake! (2016)
- Breadwinners (2016)
- Pig Goat Banana Cricket (2016–18)
- The Fairly OddParents (2017)
- Harvey Beaks (2017)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2017)
- Bunsen Is a Beast (2017–18)
- Welcome to the Wayne (2018–19)
- Rainbow Butterfly Unicorn Kitty (2019)
- Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019–20)
- It's Pony (2021–22)
- ALVINNN!!! and the Chipmunks (2023)
- The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj (2024)
- Rugrats (2024)