| NFL on Nickelodeon | |
|---|---|
 TheNFL on NickelodeonWild Card logo | |
| Also known as | |
| Genre | American football telecasts |
| Directed by | |
| Presented by |
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| Voices of |
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| Opening theme |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Production location | Various NFL stadiums |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 210 minutes or until game ends |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Nickelodeon |
| Release | January 10, 2021 (2021-01-10) – present |
| Related | |
TheNFL on Nickelodeon is the branding used for broadcasts ofNational Football League (NFL) games that are produced byCBS Sports,[9] and broadcast on the Americanpay televisionchannelNickelodeon. The telecast is a basic simulcast of theCBS television feed, but features different on-screen graphics, different play-by-play announcers, special features and guests, special on-screen effects, and network branding. The telecasts are geared toward children and families, and typically feature characters fromNickelodeon programming such asSpongeBob SquarePants,Dora the Explorer, as well as hosts and correspondents fromNFL Slimetime. Since2020, one or two games each season have been selected for the special airing on Nickelodeon.
The first telecast took place during theplayoffs of the2020 NFL season. Nickelodeon aired a one-time experimentalsimulcast[10][11][12][13] in coordination withCBS[14][15] of theBears–SaintsWild Card game.[16] This marked the first time that a major live sporting event was broadcast on the channel.[17][18] Following positive reception from media and fans, Nickelodeon announced that the simulcast would return in the2021 season for a Wild Cardplayoff game between the49ers andCowboys.
In2022–2023, the simulcast was used forChristmas Day games.[19][20] Later in the2023 season, it was utilized forSuper Bowl LVIII.[21] The most-recent game on Nickelodeon was a Wild Card game inJanuary 2025.[22]
In December 2019,Viacomre-merged withCBS Corporation to formViacomCBS.[23][17][18] To capitalize on the re-merger, CBS announced plans to add content from Nickelodeon to itsCBS All Access streaming service.[24][25] Additionally, the National Football League announced that Nickelodeon[26] would air a youth-specific broadcast of an early 2021 Wild Card playoff game that CBS Sports acquired the rights to, marking the first major live sporting event on the channel.[27][28] The idea for Nickelodeon to televise an NFL game was that ofCBS Sports' chairmanSean McManus. McManus brought the idea up to the league, which was looking to reach younger and diverse audiences.[29] While the network has aired sports-related programming in the past (such as its athleticsgame showNickelodeon Guts,[30] and itsKids' Choice Sports awards show), this marked the first live sporting event to ever be televised by Nickelodeon.[31]
McManus explained that the production planned to "respect the integrity of the game", but that there would be features "to make it look and feel very, very different than a CBS broadcast, which it should. I think it's really going to be fun."[29] Coordinating producer Shawn Robbins described the broadcast as being a "Nick-ified", "co-viewing" experience for parents and children, and that it would still "look somewhat the same", as they did not want to "mess with your football and put stuff on if that's going to take away from the viewing experience."[32] The broadcast had the inclusion of Nickelodeon cartoon branding as well as commentary from Nick stars Gabrielle Green[33] and Lex Lumpkin.[34] Emphasis was placed on educating viewers of the rules of football; this included appearances bySheldon Cooper (as played byIain Armitage on CBS sitcomYoung Sheldon) to explain penalties.[35] Robbins toldThe New York Times that Green was accidentally sent an 800-page package of game notes that was intended for Tony Romo.[35]
CBS Sports' ad sales team handled the ad sales for both telecasts.[36] While a majority of theadvertisements for the Bears-Saints game would be the same across both the CBS and Nickelodeon broadcasts, Nickelodeon aired some different ads more that were tailored to its younger audience, excluding ads for alcohol and sports betting apps.
Nickelodeon's first live NFL game aired on January 10, 2021, as a special youth-specific presentation of the 2021 Wild Card playoff game between theNew Orleans Saints andChicago Bears. During the week leading up to the game,Madden NFL 21's "The Yard" mode was updated withSpongeBob SquarePants themed content, including a Bikini Bottom-themed "reef-top" stadium, andSpongeBob-themed modifiers.[37] Immediately prior to the game, Nickelodeon aired a sports-themedSpongeBobclip show,The SpongeBob SportsPants Countdown Special, which was hosted by Burleson.
Nickelodeon in correlation with the National Football League, also launched a website withsports betting-like elements such asfree-to-play games andrisk-free gambling.[38] More specifically, users of the site would get the chance to pick who would win the game, which would in return, compare to the public pick. The user could receive points that could be exchanged for prizes and rewards. The NFL Nick Play website also featured the ability to collectSpongeBob SquarePants andThe Loud House-themed content viaQR codes.[39]
Denver BroncoslinebackerVon Miller was originally supposed to hostThe SpongeBob SportsPants Countdown Special instead of Nate Burleson, but was not present. It was later revealed on January 15, that Miller was under an unknown criminal investigation in Colorado.[40] A preview of the then-newSpongeBob SquarePantsspin-off series,Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years, was also aired at halftime.[41][42][43]
Nickelodeon worked with the agency Elevation to develop the branding and on-air look for the January 10, 2021 broadcast.[44] A trial run was conducted during thePhiladelphia Eagles-Green Bay Packers game on December 6, 2020, to test the graphics, animation and filters.[45]
Iain Armitage, in character asSheldon Cooper from CBS' TV comedy seriesYoung Sheldon appeared over thescoring bug to explain to viewers therules such as afalse start.[46][47] A giant version ofSpongeBob SquarePants appeared between the crossbars duringfield goal attempts.[48] SpongeBob SquarePants also appeared in player stat graphics to include their "Favorite snack" and "Favorite classic Nick show". Meanwhile, analyst Nate Burleson called thered zone "the money zone", as he drew adollar bill sign on the cartoon-like graphic.[49]
Nickelodeon's broadcast as a whole, aimed to focus less on stats and more on fun facts about the players—such as a player's favoriteflavor of ice cream[50] or even a "tale of the tape" between New Orleans Saintsrunning backAlvin Kamara andAlvin the Chipmunk.[51] Not only that, but Nickelodeon also put important team relationships in terms they feel their audience can understand such asDrew Brees andTaysom Hill of the New Orleans Saints and SpongeBob SquarePants andPatrick Star.[52] Nickelodeon even put up a graphic depicting Patrick Star"trolling" Bears wide receiverJavon Wims after he dropped the ball that would've resulted in a wide-open touchdown.[53] Speaking of Drew Brees, Nate Burleson on the January 10 broadcast compared him to being like the kid atrecess who never misses atdodgeball.[54][55]
For highlight reels, Nickelodeon implemented digital,comic strip-like animation[56] such as white smoke,green slime,[57] blue lightning, players were givensuperimposedgoogly eyes[58][59][60][61] andhamburger hats,[62][63] as well as a dancingLincoln Loud fromThe Loud House.[64]
And whenever a player scored atouchdown, twoaugumented reality[65]green slime-cannons[66][67][68][69] set off on both sides of the endzone or the "slime zone"[70][71][72] as Nickelodeon dubbed it, while the "TOUCHDOWN" graphic has been updated, now featuring the team's wordmark preceding a purple football sliding in. Nickelodeon's broadcast also featuredpixelated halftime highlights that were presented in an allblock graphic[73] style similar to thevideo gameMinecraft.[74][75]
RefereeAlex Kemp's open microphone caught Chicago Bears wide receiverCordarrelle Patterson saying "What thefuck?" in reaction to apenalty[76] forunsportsmanlike conduct after he voluntarily ran out of bounds during a punt. Patterson later claimed he did not utter the expletive.[77] At the time, Kemp mistakenly called the penalty on #85, tight endCole Kmet, instead of Patterson who was #84.
Despite his team's loss and completing only 19 passes for 199 yards, BearsquarterbackMitchell Trubisky won the online voting for the NVP, or Nickelodeon Valuable Player, award with 49% of the votes after podcast host Dan Katz had led an online campaign with the Twitterhashtag #Mitch4NVP, encouraging viewers to submit multiple votes for Trubisky.[78] He received a trophy, adorned with theNickelodeon blimp.[79] Chicagodefensive endAkiem Hicks and New Orleans defensive endCameron Jordan finished second and third in voting, respectively.[80]
After volunteering to do so, Saints head coachSean Payton was slimed after his team's 21–9 victory.[81] A communication disconnect prevented Cameron Jordan from joining Payton in the sliming like sideline reporter Lex Lumpkin tried to do.[82]
On March 18, 2021,Richard Deitsch ofThe Athletic asked[83] Sean McManus about the future of Nickelodeon-style NFL games. McManus said that there's a section in the new CBS deal[84] regarding alternate telecasts[85] such as the Nick game, but not weekly. On September 1, 2021, it was announced that the Wild Card simulcast would return[86] for the2021 NFL season.[87] On December 16, 2021, Nickelodeon announced[88] thatNoah Eagle,[89][90] Nate Burleson, and Gabrielle Nevaeh Green[91][92] would once again call the channel'sNFL Wild Card playoff game telecast, which featured theeighth postseason meeting[93][94] between theSan Francisco 49ers[95] andDallas Cowboys.[96] It was also announced that Dylan Gilmer would replace Lex Lumpkin as the sideline reporter.[97]
During the week leading up to the game,Rugrats andTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles themed content was added alongside theSpongeBob content inMadden NFL 22's "The Yard" mode.[98] Two days prior to the game, Nickelodeon aired a sports-themedThe Loud House clip show,The Loud House Super Sports Special. Anew episode ofThe Loud House served as the game's lead-in, while thefirst episode of the then-new Nickelodeon series,Warped!, served as the lead-out. A preview of the then-newParamount+ series,Big Nate, was also aired at halftime.[99]
The network introduced a real-time, augmented reality graphic of a giant slime monster, which would periodically pop up behind the defense.[100]
This particular graphic was created with the help from The Famous Group, who also helped provide the graphic depicting SpongeBob SquarePants' face in thecrossbar, and a graphic showing the orange Nickelodeon blimp sliming the field right before thekickoff.[101] While there was a blimp graphic that briefly appeared during the 2021 playoff broadcast, this particular rendition not only cast lifelike shadows on the field, but also adjust to the time of day, and allow cameras to zoom in and out while it's in the camera's frame. The graphics were based onEpic Games'Unreal Engine.[102] This was in contrast to the usage ofAdobe After Effects during the previous year's NFL playoff game on Nickelodeon.
Another subtle change is the SpongeBob SquarePants graphic between the crossbar now being able to more instantly react to the kick's result in real-time. And instead of theMinecraft-like "Blockie" characters used to simulate actual formations and routes,three-dimensional models based on theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was used during highlights. Nickelodeon enlisted the services of Beyond Sports to create the animation for said highlights. The "Slime Zone" graphics were also modified to allow for one of Nickelodeon's six dedicated cameras to zoom on one of the slime cannons following a touchdown.[103]
This time around,Sonic the Hedgehog andTails fromSonic the Hedgehog 2 were also showcased on the broadcast alongside SpongeBob and the titular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from the2012 TV series.[104] When explaining to Nickelodeon's young viewers the significance of therivalry between theDallas Cowboys andSan Francisco 49ers, the broadcast used the rivalry betweenMr. Krabs andPlankton fromSpongeBob SquarePants as an analogy.[105]
The broadcast also featured a brief parody ofESPN'salternateMonday Night Footballbroadcasts featuringPeyton andEli Manning. Nickelodeon's version of the "Manningcast" featuredPro Football Hall of FamerDeion Sanders talking toSpongeBob SquarePants andPatrick Star.[106]
San Francisco tight endGeorge Kittle was heard over an open microphone saying "fuck" late in the second quarter, repeatingCordarrelle Patterson's incident in the previous year's broadcast.[107]
Dallas quarterbackDak Prescott won the online fan voting for NVP, marking the second straight year that the losing team's quarterback received the game's most valuable player award after Chicago's Mitch Trubisky won the inaugural award in 2021.[108]
Coincidentally, referee Alex Kemp, who officiated Nickelodeon's first live NFL game the previous year, was also the referee for this game.
On May 10, 2022, as part of the NFL's schedule release, it was announced that CBS, Fox, and NBC would carry a tripleheader onChristmas Day. CBS concurrently announced that Nickelodeon would carry an alternate broadcast of its game (billed as theNickmas game) between theDenver Broncos andLos Angeles Rams, marking its first regular-season broadcast.[109][110]
On December 6, 2022, Nickelodeon announced that Burleson, Eagle, and Green would return to call the telecast. It was also announced that Gilmer would return as sideline reporter andPatrick Star (voiced byBill Fagerbakke) would offer live commentary during the game.[3]
During the week leading up to the game, alongside theSpongeBob content inMadden NFL 23's "The Yard" mode, players can take on ten challenges based on moments featuring Nickelodeon NVP winners in the 2021 Wild Card game and the 2021 season and earn two exclusive Nickelodeon NVP cards (both the 2021 Wild Card game and the 2022 Christmas game (token usable on January 3, 2023)) andSpongeBob gear in the "Ultimate Team" mode.[citation needed] Anew episode ofThe Loud House served as the game's lead-in, while anew episode ofThat Girl Lay Lay served as the lead-out. A preview of the then-newPaw Patrol spin-off series,Rubble & Crew, also aired at halftime.[3]
The network partnered with Silver Spoon for on-screen Christmas graphics, which included slime, snow, and presents being shot out of cannons, aYeti, andSanta Claus running routes. The on-screen graphics have been updated to match those from themain broadcast on its sister channel, CBS, as part of the network's unified branding. The "TOUCHDOWN" graphic was entirely modified to include an illustration of the player's headshot, in the style ofThe Loud House, as well as the player's name and jersey number. The first down line is now acandy cane. The customary Nickelodeon graphics also returned, including cartoon characters being beamed on the field, and the Nick blimp flying overSoFi Stadium.[111] FormerNew England Patriots andTampa Bay Buccaneers tight endRob Gronkowski (dressing as an elf, who is also known as Robbie the Elf) appeared in an on-screen graphic to explain to viewers the rules, such as what aholding penalty is.[112]
On the morning of May 11, 2023, as part of the NFL's schedule release, CBS announced that a specialChristmas Day game between theLas Vegas Raiders andKansas City Chiefs would take place at 1 PM ET on CBS and Nickelodeon.[113] This was the second consecutive year that Nickelodeon aired a game with CBS on Christmas Day.[114][115]
On December 5, 2023, Nickelodeon announced that Burleson and Eagle would return to call the telecast. It was also announced thatNFL Slimetime correspondent Dylan Schefter would return as sideline reporter andDonatello (voiced by Micah Abbey) andRaphael (voiced byBrady Noon) would offer live commentary during the game, replacing Green.[116][117]
During the week leading up to the game, Nickmas-themed rewards were offered in fourGamefam games onRoblox. A preview of the then-newNicktoon,Rock Paper Scissors, aired at halftime.[116]
Unlike the previous broadcast, the "TOUCHDOWN" graphic is not used. However, all other graphics remain unchanged. Furthermore, the score bug can be relocated to the bottom right corner of the screen during segments featuring the commentary team in the bottom left corner.
On August 1, 2023, CBS Sports announced that it would carry a simulcast ofSuper Bowl LVIII on Nickelodeon on February 11, 2024, in addition to the Nickmas game; this marked the first time that an alternate broadcast was produced for a Super Bowl game.[21][118][119][120][121]
Billed asSuper Bowl LVIII: Live from Bikini Bottom, the broadcast featured new augmented reality effects with aSpongeBob SquarePants theme.[122] Burleson and Eagle returned to call the telecast.[123][124] It was also announced that Gilmer and Schefter would both return as sideline reporters andSpongeBob SquarePants[125] (voiced byTom Kenny),Sandy Cheeks (voiced byCarolyn Lawrence) andLarry the Lobster (voiced byMr. Lawrence), in addition to Patrick (voiced by Fagerbakke), would offer live commentary during the game.[122][126] A 3D animated version of the "Sweet Victory" scene from theSpongeBob SquarePants episode "Band Geeks" was featured during the start of the broadcast.[122] As cross-promotion, an episode ofNFL Slimetime also aired on CBS as part of its pre-game programming for the game.[127]
Most of thecommercials from the main broadcast were seen during the Nickelodeon broadcast as well, aside from those for products and services (such as alcohol,sports betting, andR-rated films) that are inappropriate for a youth audience. As substitutes, Paramount Global sold approximately 15 spots specific to the Nickelodeon broadcast, charging around $200,000 to $300,000 for a 30-second commercial (in comparison to $6.5 to $7 million for a commercial on the CBS broadcast). Paramount also offered brand integration with other surrounding programming and Nickelodeon personalities.[128][129]
CBS Sports introduced an updated score bug as part of its current graphics package during the main broadcast, while Nickelodeon opted to continue using the score bug from the previous two broadcasts.[130][131] This time, the graphics were based onSpongeBob SquarePants.Dora Márquez (voiced by Diana Zermeño) and Boots (voiced by Asher Colton Spence) from theDora reboot series. explained penalties.[132] The "TOUCHDOWN" graphic featured a 3D rendition of SpongeBob's hands forming the "imagination rainbow," a recurring feature from the "Best Play Ever" segment inNFL Slimetime. The rainbow was also used on the first down line, now adorned with the exclamation "BEST FIRST DOWN EVER!" and featuring details mirroring SpongeBob's pineapple house, complete with bubbles. Alongside, the line of scrimmage features a twisted blue line with kelp grass.
In August 2024, CBS announced that Nickelodeon would carry one of the two Wild Card games that CBS has the rights to during the2024–25 NFL playoffs.[22] After the Wild Card schedule was set, CBS announced that the simulcast would air for theLos Angeles Chargers-Houston Texans game on January 11, 2025.[133][134] Noah Eagle did not return for this iteration, with Burleson instead sharing a three-man booth with SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star, while Sandy Cheeks and Dylan Schefter served as sideline reporters.[133]Dora was utilized to explain the rules and penalty calls to viewers.[133][135] Several other past and present Nickelodeon characters made cameo appearances such asCatDog, who acted as thechain crew. Original host of the network'sDouble Dare game showMarc Summers also reported on the game. An exclusive preview ofHenry Danger: The Movie aired during halftime, and the first episode of the then-new Nickelodeon seriesThe Thundermans: Undercover served as the lead-out.
The graphics from the previous telecast were retained. Furthermore, the titular character ofCatDog is shown grabbing the line of scrimmage and the first down line in place of the traditional arrow graphic.
CBS has the option of producing an alternate broadcast of a select game(s) on Nickelodeon during the 2025–26 NFL season.[136]
| Season | Away Team | Score | Home Team | Date | Kickoff | NVP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Chicago Bears | 9–21 | New Orleans Saints | January 10, 2021 | 4:40 p.m. | Mitchell Trubisky (QB, Chicago) | Wild Card Weekend playoff game |
| 2021 | San Francisco 49ers | 23–17 | Dallas Cowboys | January 16, 2022 | 4:40 p.m. | Dak Prescott (QB, Dallas) | Super Wild Card weekend playoff game |
| 2022 | Denver Broncos | 14–51 | Los Angeles Rams | December 25, 2022 | 4:36 p.m. | Baker Mayfield (QB, Los Angeles) | Christmas Day game |
| 2023 | Las Vegas Raiders | 20–14 | Kansas City Chiefs | December 25, 2023 | 1:00 p.m. | Bilal Nichols (DT, Las Vegas) | Christmas Day game |
| San Francisco 49ers | 22–25(OT) | Kansas City Chiefs | February 11, 2024 | 6:30 p.m. | Patrick Mahomes (QB, Kansas City) | Super Bowl LVIII, first overtime game in package history | |
| 2024 | Los Angeles Chargers | 12–32 | Houston Texans | January 11, 2025 | 4:30 p.m. | Joe Mixon (RB, Houston) | Wild Card Weekend playoff game |
The January 10, 2021 broadcast, between theChicago Bears andNew Orleans Saints, featuredAll That cast members Gabrielle Nevaeh Green[137][138] and Lex Lumpkin joiningNoah Eagle[139][140][141][142][143][144] (son of CBS announcerIan Eagle[145][146] and aLos Angeles Clippers broadcaster[147]) andNate Burleson[148][149] fromThe NFL Today on the announcing team.[150]
While Noah Eagle was tasked with describing the play-by-play action, and Nate Burleson was there to break down[151] the more complicated aspects of football into understandable terms,[152] 15 year old Gabrielle Nevaeh Green was there to offer insights[153] and asks questions as a stand-in for young viewers unfamiliar with the sport. During the January 10 telecast, the crew tried to explain to viewers theplay clock's importance, why thirddown plays are crucial, and the meaning of what a catch actually is.[154]
For the January 16, 2022 broadcast, the booth stayed largely the same, however, Dylan Gilmer (of the Nickelodeon seriesTyler Perry's Young Dylan) would replace Lumpkin as the sideline reporter.[97]
For the December 25, 2022 broadcast between theLos Angeles Rams andDenver Broncos fromSoFi Stadium inInglewood, California, Dylan Schefter (the daughter ofESPN reporter,Adam Schefter and contributor to Nickelodeon'sNFL Slimetime[155]) served as the sideline reporter.[156] Following the game, Schefter interviewed the game's Nickelodeon Valuable Player Award winner, Rams quarterbackBaker Mayfield.[157] TheChristmas Day 2022 telecast also featured live commentary by actorBill Fagerbakke in character asPatrick Star fromSpongeBob SquarePants.[158][159][160] Fagerbakke, a formerIdaho Vandals football defensive lineman whose previous character Michael "Dauber" Dybinski (an assistant football coach from the sitcomCoach) had served as the inspiration for Patrick, returned for the Super Bowl LVIII broadcast, paired with his co-starTom Kenny (an admitted football novice) asSpongeBob, with both appearing as their characters viamotion capture.[161][162] Kenny and Fagerbakke were given free rein to improvise in character, which required Fagerbakke to dial back some of his football knowledge but also allowed him and Kenny to make jokes that the children's audience would not likely understand, under the premise that the two characters were "knuckleheads;" Kenny recalled after the game a particular joke aboutLeonardo DiCaprio's dating life, also noting that he had unintentionallycalled back to a previous unrelatedSpongeBob joke around the number 25.[162]
The January 10, 2021 broadcast on Nickelodeon drew approximately 2 million viewers.[163][164] This was a 245% increase from the previous year's time slot.[165] According to Nickelodeon, it was the most-watched program among total viewers in nearly four years.[166][167][168] Combined[169] with the roughly 30 million viewers who watched the Saints-Bears game on CBS,[170] then approximately 30.653 million viewers watched in total. This was the biggest audience that CBS received for a Sunday wild card playoff game since2014.[171]
The January 16, 2022 broadcast on Nickelodeon drew approximately 1.3 million viewers.[172] Combined with the 40 million viewers who watched the 49ers-Cowboys game on CBS, then approximately 41.496 million viewers watched in total. This was the biggest audience that any television network received for a Sunday wild card playoff game since2015. That figure was 35% up from the same window from the previous year. According to CBS Sports, it was the most-streamed non-Super Bowl NFL game ever onParamount+.[173]
The December 25, 2022 broadcast on Nickelodeon drew approximately 900,000 viewers.[174] This was a 400% increase over the previous year's Christmas Day time slot, as well as the highest-rated Christmas Day telecast since 2016, with approximately 2.6 million viewers watching in full or in part.[175] Combined with the roughly 22 million who watched the Broncos-Rams game on CBS, then approximately 22.574 million viewers watched in total. Despite that figure being down from both the Christmas and equivalent Sunday windows the previous year, it was the largest Christmas audience for CBS.[176]
The December 25, 2023 broadcast on Nickelodeon drew approximately 900,000 viewers.[177] This was the most-watched early afternoon program on Christmas Day in ten years. Combined with the 28 million who watched the Raiders-Chiefs game on CBS, then approximately 29.171 million viewers watched in total, peaking at around 37.163 million. This was a 29% increase over the previous year's game. According to CBS Sports, this not only marked it as the largest Christmas Day audience for CBS, but also the biggest audience for an NFL Christmas Day game since 1989.[178]
The Super Bowl broadcast on February 11, 2024, drew approximately 1.2 million viewers.[179] Combined with the 120 million who watched the 49ers–Chiefs game on CBS, and the 2.3 million onUnivision, then approximately 123.714 million viewers watched in total.[180] This was a 7% increase over theprevious year's game. According to CBS Sports, it was the most-streamed Super Bowl ever on Paramount+.[181]
According to a poll conducted byMorning Consult, more than 70% of parents said they would watch a game like that with kids after showing them a one-minute clip of highlights to give them a sense of Nickelodeon's broadcast. Two-thirds said thatAlphas would enjoy the Nickelodeon broadcast more than the traditional version on CBS.[182]
Reaction on social media to Nickelodeon's telecast of the Chicago Bears-New Orleans Saints playoff game on January 11 was mostly positive,[183] with the non-targeted adult audience applauding the fun the network was having.[citation needed]
Phil Rosenthal of theChicago Tribune wrote that as an alternative to CBS' standard coverage withJim Nantz andTony Romo[184] on the call, Nickelodeon did a nice job helping educate youngsters about pro football and brighten a not-so-exciting playoff game between the Saints and Bears. As for the commentating crew, Rosenthal said that Nickelodeon stars Lex Lumpkin and Gabrielle Nevaeh Green were good company and sweetly genuine despite their scripted material being hit or miss. Meanwhile, Rosenthal praised the work of play-by-play announcer Noah Eagle and analyst Nate Burleson,[185] who according to Rosenthal, managed to keep things light all the while, explaining what was happening in the game and what it meant. Rosenthal also summarized that while the sheer novelty ofNickelodeon's animation and special effects faded, it never vanished and that it was overall, wonderfully goofy.[186]
FormerSt. Louis RamsquarterbackKurt Warner wrote on Twitter that his 31-year-old son Zach, who suffered a traumatic brain injury at four months old and islegally blind, had never sat and watched a football game with him until Nickelodeon's broadcast of the Saints-Bears game on January 10.[187][188]
The announcement of Nickelodeon broadcasting its first-ever NFL game was not without skepticism and concern, especially in regards to how or if the network would confront therealities of playing such a brutal sport and therisks of sustainingbrain trauma for its young audience.[189] During the January 12 broadcast,Christopher Nowinski, co-founder and CEO of theConcussion Legacy Foundation, co-founder of theBoston University CTE Center said onTwitter "That'll get kids killed."[190][191] in reaction to analyst Nate Burleson comparing New Orleans Saints quarterbackTaysom Hill hitting his head toscraping your knee at recess.[192]
Another concern was raised regarding whether or not Nickelodeon's website, NFL Nick Play, which created and targeted printable "pick'em sheets" for children to select winners of that week's NFL games, was appropriate.[193] Critics have argued that something like this is ingraining betting habits at a young age. NFL Nick Play also includes little quizzes on the differentpositions in football, information on how those positions work, and how the game plays out.[194]
Praveen Nair of theUCSD Guardian said that it was frustrating that the Nickelodeon broadcast cut to the commentators for the couple minutes after Bearswide receiverAnthony Miller wasejected for punching SaintssafetyC. J. Gardner-Johnson in the face without explaining what was happening on the field.[195]
Nickelodeon's first involvement with theNational Football League was in 2004. In conjunction with CBS' then upcoming coverage[196] ofSuper Bowl XXXVIII[197][198] fromHouston on February 1, 2004, CBS aired the hour long[199] specialNickelodeon Takes Over the Super Bowl.
Nickelodeon also participated in tie-ins forSuper Bowl LV,[200] also televised by CBS. Nickelodeon aired a half-hour special,[201]The Nickelodeon Super Duper Super Bowl Pregame Spectacular,[202] which was hosted by Gabrielle Nevaeh Green and Lex Lumpkin.
On September 10, 2021, ViacomCBS announced that it would air a weekly NFL series on Nickelodeon andParamount+,[203]NFL Slimetime,[204][205] hosted by Nate Burleson[206] and Dylan Gilmer.[207] It began airing on September 15,[208] and would air Wednesdays at 7 p.m. throughout the NFL season.[209]
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