.svg){kind=logo} Logo used since 2024 | |
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | India Bangladesh[1] Nepal[1] Sri Lanka[1] |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Programming | |
| Languages | |
| Picture format | 576iSDTV |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | JioStar (branding licensed fromParamount Networks EMEAA) |
| Parent | Nickelodeon |
| Sister channels | Nick HD+ |
| History | |
| Launched | 16 October 1999; 26 years ago (1999-10-16) |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
Nickelodeon or simplyNick, is an Indian children'spay televisionchannel based inMumbai,Maharashtra,India. The local equivalent of theoriginal American network and is owned byJioStar, a joint venture betweenDisney India andReliance Industries, under license fromParamount Networks EMEAA. Despite using the "Nickelodeon" branding, it does not air any content from the original channel as part of a localisation strategy since the 2010s; instead the original Nickelodeon content is only broadcast on theNickelodeon HD+ channel. As of October 2020, Nickelodeon is the most watched children's channel in India.[2]
Nickelodeon was launched in India on 16 October 1999.Zee TV was in charge of distributing the channel to cable operators, in a deal made withViacom.[3]Zee TV also launched a Nickelodeon-branded programming block on its main channel as part of a distribution deal between Viacom International andZee Entertainment Enterprises. It was replaced by theCartoon Network block in 2002.[3][4]
In 2004, Viacom revamped Nickelodeon in India to increase its viewership, including branding the channel just as Nick, creating local programs and launching aHindi audio track.[5][6]
On 23 November 2006, Nickelodeon India ceased to be distributed in Pakistan and was replaced with a dedicated local version ofNickelodeon in that country.[7]
Viacom signed a programming deal withSun TV Network in 2007 according to which Nickelodeon shows will air onChutti TV dubbed inTamil andTelugu.[citation needed] This deal was later cancelled when Nickelodeon decided to add Tamil and Telugu audio tracks to their own channel.[8]
In 2007, the joint venture between Viacom and TV18 calledViacom18 was formed, and the channelsMTV, Nick India andVH1 became part of the new company.[9]
On 25 June 2010, Nick India was rebranded, using the newly launched logo used in US. It was the last major market to undergo this makeover.[10]In December 2011, Viacom 18 launched a new channel calledSonic.[11] Initially, the channel was focused on action and adventure, before switching their focus to comedy in 2016.[12]
Viacom18 Motion Pictures distributedKeymon Ache & Nani in Space Adventure, a film based on the Nickelodeon India seriesKeymon Ache in 2012.[13] Another theatrical film,Motu Patlu: King Of Kings from theMotu Patlu franchise was released in Hindi and Tamil on 14 October 2016.[14]
Nick Jr. was launched in late 2012 after being spun off from the main channel.[15] As the main channel did not air any live action shows, these shows aired onTeenNick, which was aired in the evenings on Nick Jr. until 1 February 2017, when it was discontinued.
In 2013, the channel hosted its first localizedKids Choice Awards.[16]
On 5 December 2015,Viacom18 launched Nickelodeon HD+, the first children's channel inHigh Definition in India.[17] It originates a different schedule than the main network, including previously unaired international programming such asThe Legend of Korra.
In March 2016, Viacom18 launched a Nick programming block named "Nick Hour" on theirfree-to-air channelColors Rishtey.[18] The programming consists of shows likeMotu Patlu,Pakdam Pakdai,The Jungle Book,Go, Diego, Go!,Keymon Ache andChhoti Anandi (Colors TV series).
Nick India added aKannada audio track to the channel on 1 September 2018. Four additional language tracks inMarathi,Bengali,Gujarati andMalayalam were added in 2019.[19]
Nick India announced its first co-production with Nickelodeon International calledThe Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj, which first premiered internationally in late 2022.[20] It premiered in India on 15 October 2023.[citation needed]
On 24 January 2022, in association with Nickelodeon India,Colors Tamil launched the "Nick Neram" block, airingRudra: Boom Chik Chik Boom andMario Party 9.[21]
On April 15, 2024, the channel, along with its sister channelNick Jr., started to use the Splat rebrand being used internationally. Unlike most Nickelodeon feeds adopting the Nickelodeon logo, the channel retained its on-air name as Nick.[22]
In the channel's first years of broadcasting it aired mostly original programs from the US version of the channel, such asRugrats,Aaahh!!! Real Monsters,As Told by Ginger,Rocket Power,The Wild Thornberrys,The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius,Rocko's Modern Life,The Angry Beavers,CatDog,Hey Arnold!,The Fairly OddParents,SpongeBob SquarePants,Danny Phantom,Avatar: The Last Airbender,Kenan & Kel,Drake & Josh,Clarissa Explains It All,Legends of the Hidden Temple, and others.
After the success of Nickelodeon U.S. game shows, Nick India produced two local game shows,Dum Dama Dum[23] andGilli Gilli Gappa.[24] They launchedJ Bole Toh Jadoo, a spin-off series of 2003'sKoi... Mil Gaya. The series premiered on 14 November 2004 onChildren's Day.
In 2006 Nick India started acquiring Japanese anime such asNinja Hattori,Perman andMighty Cat Masked Niyander.[25] Due to poor performance of original Nickelodeon content,[6][26] the channel started to rely more on third party programming and focused on animated content only. Newer live-action shows likeiCarly were not aired until the launch ofTeenNick in 2012 and some ongoing Nickelodeon cartoons at that time such asThe Fairly OddParents were permanently removed from the channel. Other shows likeTak and the Power of Juju andThe Penguins of Madagascar premiered in later years.
Nick started airingColors's showJai Shri Krishna in 2009. The show was re-edited and customized for a younger audience.[27] They also acquiredLittle Krishna, an animated series produced by BIG Animation India and The Indian Heritage Foundation in May 2009.[28] Also, in 2009 the channel started acquired the French seriesOggy and the Cockroaches.
In 2011, Nickelodeon India began producing local animated shows, starting withKeymon Ache and a theatrical movie based on the series.[13]Motu Patlu debuted in 2012, and was followed by more local animated series likePakdam Pakdai in 2013 (which later moved to Nickelodeon Sonic),Shiva in 2015,Gattu Battu in 2017,Rudra in 2018,Ting Tong in 2020 andChikoo aur Bunty in 2021. The original shows from the American network migrated to Nickelodeon HD+ in 2015.
Nick HD+ (also known asNickelodeon HD+) launched on 5 December 2015. It is the high-definition counterpart of Nickelodeon India. Original content from theU.S. television channel are shown only on the channel. It launched as Nickelodeon HD+, the first children's channel in high definition in India.[29]
Before the launch of the channel,Nick Jr. (also known asNickelodeon Jr.) was started as a block on Nickelodeon at morning times which broadcast shows for kids likeDora the Explorer,Go Diego Go, etc.On 21 November 2012,Viacom18 launchedTeenNick andNick Jr. as a single channel in which Nick Jr. airs in the daytime while TeenNick aired at night. However, TeenNick was discontinued on 1 February 2017, which made Nick Jr. a 24-hour channel. The block on Nickelodeon was discontinued in 2018.
Sonic was launched on 20 December 2011, focusing on action and teens. In 2016, the channel changed strategy to attract younger audiences, including producing local original content for the channel.