Nickelodeon, CBS to Host NFL Wild Card Round

In a year that has been far from typical, the NFL playoffs may take it to another level of strange. CBS Sports and Nickelodeon announced Tuesday that they would be partnering with the NFL to produce a “kid-friendly” broadcast of the game. With the average NFL fan being between the ages of 24-35 years old, it is safe to say that it is definitely not as popular among younger audiences. The NFL is looking to break that barrier with collaborations with Nickelodeon, a premier network for kid-friendly programs. 

Nickelodeon’s most popular character, SpongeBob Square pants, will be the headliner for the game including custom animations and graphics during the broadcast and a halftime show featuring various Nickelodeon characters. With such a polarizing crossover of animation and live-action sports, it is clear that the NFL wants to attract a different audience to its games. 

Many younger fans are able to connect through NFL products such as Madden, NFL Play 60, and NFL Pro Bowl, but it does not bridge the gap between avid-viewer and a casual fan that only plays the video game. As the NFL becomes more geared toward excitement and creating a show for fans, it will continue to find new and creative ways to bring in the unconventional fan. 

While this may seem like an outlandish idea to the hardcore fan, it is a new and innovative way to help the sport cross over into other avenues. The NFL has been involved with many kid-friendly campaigns since its existence and it is not new to working with Nickelodeon personnel. During the 2016 Super Bowl Week, Nickelodeon hosted the NFL experience and other events during the week. In a year that has been unpredictable, it will be interesting to see how unpredictable the NFL Playoffs could be.

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-By: LeMarkus D. Bailey