Spongebob Squarepants is Now on Cartoon Network (But Not How You Think)

For decades, Spongebob Squarepants has been one of the premier Nickelodeon cartoons airing on the Paramount cable network. Already in the midst of its sixteenth season, a seventeenth season has already been confirmed as the Krusty Krab’s resident fry cook gets into more surreal adventures. While Spongebob has come to the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in the past, a wild new crossover has been announced that sees Spongebob jumping ship to another network. That’s right, Mr. Squarepants has arrived on Cartoon Network, but you might be surprised to learn how Bikini Bottom landed on the Warner Bros channel.

In a surprise twist, Cartoon Network South Korea has somehow obtained the license to Spongebob Squarepants, beginning the series with its ninth season. Promising more episodes coming down the pike, the South Korean network also touted the arrival of My Adventures With Superman and Teen Titans Go in a brand new commercial. The reasoning behind this wild move, though not confirmed, is the fate of Nickelodeon in South Korea. The cable network closed its doors all the way back in 2022 in the asian country, meaning that Spongebob had nowhere to call his home in South Korea, but luckily, Cartoon Network has seemingly thrown the sponge a lifeline. You can check out the new commercial confirming this radical change below.

Spongebob: Past, Present, and Future

Alongside the new arrival on Cartoon Network South Korea, Spongebob has plenty to celebrate across the board. Most recently in the animated series, Squarepants finally achieved his dream of getting his driver’s license. Of course, this came with the caveat of earning it in a foreign land and ultimately wanting to return it thanks to his driving skills remaining subpar. Earlier this week, even bigger news for the frycook arrived thanks to his next foray on the silver screen.

The Spongebob Movie: Search For Squarepants will hit theaters on December 19th, with Nickelodeon releasing a description for the next big screen adventure in Bikini Bottom, “SpongeBob and his Bikini Bottom friends set sail in their biggest, all-new, can’t miss cinematic event ever…The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. Desperate to be a big guy, SpongeBob sets out to prove his bravery to Mr. Krabs by following The Flying Dutchman – a mysterious swashbuckling ghost pirate – on a seafaring comedy-adventure that takes him to the deepest depths of the deep sea, where no Sponge has gone before.”

On the Western front of the cable network, this summer was officially announced to focus on Bikini Bottom. Nickelodeon changed “NickToons” to “NickSpongebob” and celebrated the arrival of the sixteenth season in a way that not many other animated series have been privy to. Even with so many years of stories under its belt, Spongebob doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Want to follow along with the adventures of Bikini Bottom and its undersea residents? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Spongebob Squarepants and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

Nickelodeon Makes Major Change to Its “NickToons” Line