 Logo used since January 1, 2024[a] | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Headquarters | One Astor Plaza New York City, U.S. |
| Programming | |
| Languages |
|
| Picture format | 1080iHDTV (downscaled toletterboxed480i for theSDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Paramount Skydance |
| Parent | Nickelodeon Group |
| Sister channels | |
| History | |
| Launched | May 1, 2002; 23 years ago (2002-05-01) |
| Former names |
|
| Links | |
| Website | nicktoonsnetwork.nick.com/home.html |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Affiliated streaming service | Paramount+ |
| Service(s) | DirecTV Stream,Hulu + Live TV,Philo,Sling TV,YouTube TV |
Nicktoons (formerlyNicktoons TV andNicktoons Network) is an Americanpay televisionchannel owned by theNickelodeon Group, a sub-division of theParamount Media Networks division ofParamount Skydance. Launched on May 1, 2002, the channel is geared towards children aged 7 to 11,[1] and serves as an extension of theeponymous brand used byNickelodeon 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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| 1977 | FirstPinwheel broadcast onQube |
|---|---|
| 1979 | Nickelodeon is launched byWarner-Amex Satellite Entertainment |
| 1984 | A&E merges two networks onto Nickelodeon's prime time schedule |
| 1985 | Launch of prime time and overnight programming throughNick at Nite with A&E's spin-off to 24-hour operation |
| 1986 | Viacom acquires network parent MTV Networks |
| 1987 | The firstBig Ballot, which would became theNickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards |
| 1988 | Nick Jr. launches in mornings |
| 1990 | Opening ofNickelodeon Studios atUniversal Studios Florida |
| 1991 | The firstNicktoons premiere |
| 1992 | SNICK, the network's Saturday night block, begins Nickelodeon Animation Studio is founded |
| 1993 | Nickelodeon UK debuts |
| 1994 | Nickelodeon launchesThe Big Help |
| 1995 | Nick.com is launched |
| 1996 | First theatrical release byNickelodeon Movies |
| 1999 | Noggin, a joint venture withCTW launches |
| 2000 | Nickelodeon on CBS airs from 2000–2006 |
| 2001 | TEENick is launched |
| 2002 | The N is launched on Noggin andNicktoons TV is launched Sesame Workshop sells their stake in Noggin to Viacom MTV Hits is launched |
| 2004 | SNICK ends its run |
| 2005 | Nickelodeon Studios closes |
| 2007 | Nick GAS shuts down, The N takes over its channel space |
| 2009 | Nickelodeon acquires theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise TEENick and The N merged to createTeenNick, Noggin is replaced by theNick Jr. Channel |
| 2010 | Nickelodeon begins co-producing theWinx Club franchise |
| 2011 | NickRewind launches on TeenNick as The 90's Are All That |
| 2012 | NickMom is launched overnight on the Nick Jr. Channel |
| 2015 | NickMom closes Noggin relaunches as a streaming service |
| 2016 | MTV Hits becomesNickMusic |
| 2019 | Nickelodeon acquires theGarfield franchise |
| 2021 | NFL on Nickelodeon premieres in partnership withCBS Sports More Nickelodeon content becomes available onParamount+ |
| 2022 | NickRewind is discontinued, although it is still active on social media |
| 2024 | Noggin shuts down; the brand is later sold to CEO Kristen Kane Closure of NickJr.com and its content is moved to Nick.com Closure ofPakistani channel |
| 2025 | Closure of international Nickelodeon websites Noggin relaunches as an independent platform Closure ofCanadian andBrazilian channels |
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Nicktoons launched on May 1, 2002, asNicktoons TV. It was part of thedigital cable–exclusiveMTV 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 todigital satellite servicesDirecTV andDish 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 ispillarboxed on this feed. As the network blended in more Nickelodeon programming into its schedule, the Nicktoons website wassunset to aparking page directing viewers toNick.com before it was eventually redirected quietly to the latter website.
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On January 1, 2024, Nicktoons (along withTeenNick) 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 ofSpongeBob SquarePants, Nicktoons began to primarily run onlySpongeBob 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 asNickSpongeBob, following a trend set by theBritish and Irish version of the channel starting from 2022, during airings ofSpongeBob 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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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 asRocko's Modern Life andCatDog, 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, andWolverine and the X-Men were effectively cancelled whenThe Walt Disney Company acquiredMarvel Studios in 2009.
Historically, episodes of under-performing Nickelodeon programs, including original shows and acquisitions, have beenburned off on the Nicktoons channel. Some first run shows includeThe Angry Beavers,As Told By Ginger,Back at the Barnyard,Breadwinners,Bunsen Is a Beast,CatDog,El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera,Fanboy & Chum Chum,season 10 ofThe 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,Pig Goat Banana Cricket,Planet Sheen,Random! Cartoons,Robot and Monster,T.U.F.F. Puppy,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012), andWelcome to the Wayne. Some acquired shows that were moved over and finished their runs on the network includeAlvinnn!!! and the Chipmunks,Ollie's Pack andRabbids Invasion (though the latter series moved toNetflix for its fourth and final season).
On September 3, 2014, a two-hour Wednesday prime time programming block named NickSports was launched on the channel, tying into theKids' Choice Sports inaugurated that year.[6] The block presented mainly licensed programming focusing on sports, including theRob Dyrdek-starringWild Grinders andNFL Rush Zone: Guardians of the Core, along with sports-related feature films such asBend It Like Beckham,Cool Runnings, andSpace Jam.[6] Sometime in 2015, the block was moved to a Friday prime time slot. The block ended in September 2018.
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]
Nicktoons video games | |
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| Unite! series | |
| Racing | |
| Super Brawl series | |
| Sports | |
| Others |
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