CBS Sports and Nickelodeon Team up for NFL Wild Card Game Broadcast

This year’s NFL Wild Card Game is getting a Nickelodeon makeover just for kids. CBS Sports and Nickelodeon announced today that they are teaming to create a family-friendly presentation of the National Football League’s Wild Card game on Sunday, Jan. 10th beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET. The NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon will include “one-of-a-kind kid-focused content” and Nick-themed elements. Those include a special halftime presentation, guest reporters, original on-field graphics, virtual filters, and more. The NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon will air simultaneously with CBS Sports’ broadcast of the game on The CBS Television Network.

Play-by-play announcer Noah Eagle will team with CBS Sports’ analyst Nate Burleson and Nick star Gabrielle Nevaeh Green (All That, Nickelodeon’s Unfiltered) in the booth to call the NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon. Nick star Lex Lumpkin (All That, Nickelodeon’s Unfiltered) ­­­will act as a reporter during the game. Nickelodeon’s coverage kicks off with The SpongeBob SportsPants Countdown Special, a sports-themed compilation special, airing 4 p.m. ET hosted by the Denver Broncos’ Von Miller, highlighting SpongeBob’s best sports moments. It also features pre-kickoff appearances by CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz and Tony Romo, as well as Eagle, Burleson, and Green.

The NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon also includes a sneak peek of Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years during halftime. The new show follows 10-year-old SpongeBob SquarePants and his pals as they spend their summer building underwater campfires, catching wild jellyfish, and swimming in Lake Yuckymuck at the craziest camp in the kelp forest, Kamp Koral. The series debuts in 2021 on ViacomCBS’s rebranded Paramount+ streaming service and will show on Nickelodeon later in the year.

“This is a first of its kind presentation for the NFL together with Nickelodeon, and we are very excited to create a unique telecast that will maximize the co-viewing appeal for kids and families, while maintaining the integrity of the game and its traditions,” said Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports in a press release. “Partnering with Nickelodeon to showcase the NFL Playoffs is a great opportunity to highlight the power, depth and reach of ViacomCBS, as we continue to unlock the true potential of our merged company with the first of many opportunities between CBS Sports and our ViacomCBS family.”

“Our game plan is to make sure the NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon definitely lives up to its name by infusing the telecast with Nick’s sensibility of surprise and fun at almost every turn,” said Brian Robbins, President of ViacomCBS Kids & Family Entertainment. “We’re incredibly proud to team up with CBS Sports and the NFL to elevate the thrill of this game for kids and families to enjoy together.”

The NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon will only be available to be streamed on mobile for free for all fans via the NFL App. The game airing on CBS will be streamed on CBS and NFL digital properties across devices, and on mobile via the participating teams’ mobile properties, and Yahoo Sports, and other Verizon Media mobile properties.

NFLNickPlay.com is the official online destination for the NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon, helping to educate kids on football basics and entertain them with a variety of NFL-themed content leading up to and during the Wild Card game. Kids can engage with quizzes, polls, fun facts, info galleries, sports-themed short-form videos, Weekly Pick ‘Em printables, and more, earning points and unlocking badges along the way. For three days leading up to the game and on game day, viewers can scan QR codes on-air, unlocking sports-themed SpongeBob SquarePants and The Loud House collectibles and participating with interactive content throughout the live game. Participants will also be able to enter sweepstakes for the chance to win an exclusive game ball signed by a Wild Card Game player, as well as other exclusive prize packs.

The NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon is produced by CBS Sports in association with Nickelodeon Productions. Sean McManus and Harold Bryant serve as Executive Producers of THE NFL ON CBS. CBS Sports’ Shawn Robbins is Coordinating Producer of the game along with Producer, Ken Mack and Director, Suzanne Smith. Production for Nickelodeon is overseen by Rob Bagshaw, Executive Vice President, Unscripted Content.