Last Saturday the New Orleans Saints and the Chicago Bears took to the field in the NFL Wild Card Weekend. The game aired as expected on CBS, but it also appeared on Amazon Prime and…um…Nickelodeon.
The strange choice of simulcast meant just about everyone on social media was going to make the Nickelodeon choice, because why wouldn’t they? Feeds nationwide were cluttered with tons of screenshots and videos from the historic event:
SPONGEBOB SPORTSPANTS (@Nickelodeon) pic.twitter.com/AhXhMuylDI
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) January 10, 2021
HEYYYYYY LOOK WHO'S IN THE STANDS!!!!#NFL #NFLOnNick #Nickelodeon pic.twitter.com/FuZqInMoKm
— The Fanpage of The Loud House and The Casagrandes (@FanpageOfTLH) January 10, 2021
I’m gonna stand down on this Nickelodeon broadcast. #CHIvsNO pic.twitter.com/LUs1gTlwBd
— WhoYouKnowBlack (@TheRealEmmittB) January 10, 2021
Why would CBS and its parent company Viacom choose to do this? We have a theory. The NFL Wild Card game drew lots of eyeballs to the channel that otherwise might not have been watching, and Nick took the opportunity to show a sneak preview of a cartoon they’ve been working on…
Kamp Koral is a Spongebob spinoff that’s been in development for quite some time. Aimed at a younger audience than the original, the computer-animated prequel focuses on a ten-year-old Spongebob having the time of his life at summer camp with kid versions of his supporting cast.
Said cast will be voiced by the same actors that have been doing this forever: Tom Kenny (SpongeBob), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick), Rodger Bumpass (Squidward), Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs), Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy) and Mr. Lawrence (Plankton). But there will also be new characters: two narwhals named Nobby and Narlene, played by Carlos Alazraqui (The Casagrandes) and Kate Higgins (Blaze and the Monster Machines).
Despite Kamp Koral running its preview on Nickelodeon, that isn’t where it’s ending up. As an unnecessary spinoff of a popular property, what do you think it’s intended for? A new streaming service, of course. Viacom is debuting Kamp Koral on an upcoming service with the completely original name of Paramount+. The cartoon will be exclusive to Paramount+ for a few months, but will eventually appear on Nickelodeon later this year.
Missed the game? Nick uploaded the Kamp Koral sneak peek to YouTube, so you can watch it below. The show currently has no specific release date.
