In an expansion of their relationship, Netflix and Nickelodeon have formed a new multi-year output deal to produce original animated features and television series, based on both existing Nickelodeon characters as well as brand-new ones.
The Viacom-owned kids content producer has previously brought to life “Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling” and “Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus” to Netflix, and currently in the works are specials based on “The Loud House” and “Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles.”
“Nickelodeon has generated scores of characters that kids love, and we look forward to telling wholly original stories that re-imagine and expand on the worlds they inhabit,” said Netflix vice president of original animation Melissa Cobb. “We’re thrilled to continue collaborating with Brian Robbins, Ramsey Naito, and the creative team at Nickelodeon in new ways as we look to find fresh voices and bring bold stories to our global audience on Netflix.”
Kids programming is just another battlefield of the ongoing streaming wars. Linear viewership at kids cable networks are sinking as direct-to-consumer platforms pick off their viewers; Netflix says that 60% of its subscribers watch kids shows and movies with regularity.
Netflix’s animated slate for the rest of the year includes the movie “Klaus” from Sergio Pablos, the “Dino Girl Dauko” series from Japan, adult animated feature “I Lost My Body” from Jeremy Clapin and DreamWorks’ “Fast & Furious Spy Racers.”
“Nickelodeon’s next step forward is to keep expanding beyond linear platforms, and our broader content partnership with Netflix is a key path toward that goal,” said Brian Robbins, president of Nickelodeon, who will become ViacomCBS’ head of kids and family entertainment once the Viacom-CBS merger closes in December. “The Nickelodeon Animation Studio is home to the world-class artists and storytellers behind some of the most iconic characters and shows ever made, and our head of Animation, Ramsey Naito, has been building on that legacy over the past year by ramping up development and production exponentially. The ideas and work at our Studio are flowing, and we can’t wait to work with Melissa and the Netflix team on a premium slate of original animated content for kids and families around the world.”
