The NFL on Nickelodeon is making its return.
Once again, a playoff matchup will air with some family-friendly fun, as Chargers vs. Texans on Wild Card Weekend will have an alternate Nickelodeon broadcast.
In coordination with CBS Sports, Saturday’s matchup will mark the sixth game Nickelodeon has been involved with.
Here’s what to know about the NFL on Nickelodeon ahead of the Los Angeles vs. Houston matchup in the first round of the 2025 playoffs.
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What is the NFL’s Nickelodeon broadcast?
Since 2021, CBS Sports has produced five alternate broadcasts through Nickelodeon. Adding in a family-friendly, fun mix of slime, Nickelodeon characters and more, the alternate telecast has become nearly an annual occurrence.
The Nickelodeon broadcasts began in 2021 with a wild-card game between the Saints and Bears. After that was viewed as a success the first time around, Nickelodeon has aired other NFL playoff and Christmas Day “Nickmas” games.
The most recent NFL on Nickelodeon broadcast was last season’s Superbowl LVIII between the 49ers and Chiefs. In August, CBS announced that the Nickelodeon broadcast would be returning for one of the network’s two wild-card matchups this season, which wound up being Chargers vs. Texans.
This year’s Nickelodeon broadcast is being titled “Nickelodeon’s NFL Wild Card Game Live from Bikini Bottom.”
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Why is the NFL doing a Nickelodeon broadcast?
The NFL’s broadcast on Nickelodeon is mostly targeted toward a youth audience to help them learn the game and have some fun with it, but it’s also just a harmless twist that makes for some great content and another way to watch some playoff action, for whoever has interest in the alternate broadcast.
Nickelodeon’s stream has also received positive receptions in the past, helping CBS Sports total 123.4 million viewers across its various platforms for last year’s Super Bowl broadcast.
In the past, Nickelodeon broadcasts have often featured characters from “SpongeBob Squarepants.” While providing some football knowledge to young viewers who may not know much about the game, the broadcasts have also involved handing out the postgame “NVP” award, graphics involving Nickelodeon characters and augmented reality cartoon projections on the field.
How to watch Nickelodeon NFL game
- Game: Chargers vs. Texans
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 11
- Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
- TV channel: Nickelodeon
- Live stream: NFL+ | Paramount+
The alternate broadcast of Chargers vs. Texans will air on Nickelodeon, with the traditional broadcast being on CBS Sports. Fans looking to stream the Nickelodeon broadcast can turn toward NFL+ or Paramount+.
Nickelodeon NFL broadcast team
In the past, the NFL on Nickelodeon broadcast has included a traditional play-by-play announcer like Noah Eagle. But similar to last year’s Super Bowl, SpongeBob SquarePants (voiced by Tom Kenny) and Patrick Star (voiced by Bill Fagerbakke) are set to be in the virtual booth for Chargers vs. Texans.
The two characters will be joined by CBS Sports’ Nate Burleson, who’s often appeared on the Nickelodeon broadcasts in the past. Dylan Schefter, the daughter of ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter, will also return as “NFL Slimetime’s” sideline reporter. There will, of course, be various cameos by Nickelodeon characters as well.
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