Nickelodeon announces new line-up to entertain kids during lockdown

In a bid to entertain kids who're bored amid lockdown, Nickelodeon has announced new episodes of existing shows, along with a social campaign.

Nickelodeon has announced a new content line-up in a bid to entertain children who are forced to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus-related lockdown. In a press release, the company mentions that the Nickelodeon franchise holds 34 per cent market share, and has witnessed a 28 per cent growth in ratings, engaging 50 million child viewers per week.

Nick and Sonic will offer new episodes of existing kids shows such as 'Motu Patlu' and 'Rudra' on Nick. New episodes of 'Ninja Hattori' and 'Pakdam Pakdai' will air on Sonic. Nickelodeon’s channel for toddlers – Nick Jr. will also air new episodes of the show 'Paw Patrol'. The content across Nickelodeon and Sonic will be available in eight (Indian) languages - Gujarati, Bengali, Marathi and Malayalam, in addition to Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.

The release mentions that during the ongoing lockdown period, the kids’ category has seen a surge in viewership. The genre has seen a 33 per cent growth (nine per cent share of total TV viewership). The Nickelodeon franchise plays a major role in the category, with eight out of Top 20 shows belonging to its programming line-up. Currently, the Nickelodeon franchise contributes to the category with 34 per cent market share and has witnessed 28 per cent growth in ratings, with a six per cent increase of weekly reach and a 20 per cent increase in weekly viewing minutes across the franchise. As families stay indoors, co-viewing of the Nickelodeon franchise has grown substantially (15-plus age group has seen a 23 per cent growth) this week.

Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment & kids TV network head, says, “Kids are at the centre of our universe and their wellbeing is of utmost importance to us. In the wake of COVID-19, we request all to stay safe indoors and have an enjoyable time at home. During this time, when families must stay inside, we are offering our young viewers fresh episodes of their favourite shows so they can bond with their families, while enjoying the company of their beloved Nicktoons. We, at Nickelodeon, believe this is a time to be positive, remain safe, and we commit to do all that we can to make our viewers smile and feel upbeat.”

Nickelodeon has also announced the launch of a campaign titled #HomeOkPlease to help children understand the importance of staying indoors, social distancing, washing their hands, etc. The campaign is running on the channel’s social media pages. Additionally, Nickindia.com has put up a host of games of 'Rudra', 'Motu Patlu', 'Shiva', to name a few, in addition to uploading DIY videos and formats.