NFL clubs announced Tuesday plans to expand the postseason by two teams beginning with the 2020 season. The expansion had recently been voted on and passed in the new collective bargaining agreement.
Now official, there will be seven playoff teams from each conference, including three Wild Card teams. The No. 2 team will no longer receive a bye and will instead host the No. 7 team.
But buried in the announcement is the launch of a kid-friendly broadcast on Nickelodeon, which will attract a younger crowd.
Yes, the NFL will be on Nickelodeon.
The league announced NBC and CBS would broadcast the additional wild card games. NFL Wild Card Weekend will include three games Saturday, Jan. 9 and another three games Sunday, Jan. 10. In addition to CBS’ extra broadcast on Jan. 9 — which also will be carried via a livestream on CBS All Access — the NFL noted a separately produced telecast of the game will air on Nickelodeon, tailored for a younger audience.
The Nickelodeon broadcast could quite possibly be the most watch-worthy event of them all. Just imagine: SpongeBob on the sidelines doing player interviews, or a superstar slime down during halftime.
NFL Twitter seems into it, honestly.
how it’s gonna sound when Saquon breaks off for a TD in the wild card game when it airs on Nickelodeon pic.twitter.com/c61e3ChNpZ
— GmenGalaxy (@goatsaquon) March 31, 2020
Introducing the new Nickelodeon NFL broadcast team! pic.twitter.com/Ytw1OWL9tY
— Just Another Football Podcast (@AnotherFBPod) March 31, 2020
The NFL on Nickelodeon: Spongebob edition 🤔🥴🏈 pic.twitter.com/FBRscsss9f
— erik misses sab 🥺🥺🥺 (@SabsCarpunder) March 31, 2020
Nickelodeon has already shown the NFL on its network before pic.twitter.com/HpkefpHnka
— Andrew Hodgson (@ahodgson92) March 31, 2020
The NFL on Nickelodeon: Spongebob edition 🤔🥴🏈 pic.twitter.com/FBRscsss9f
— erik misses sab 🥺🥺🥺 (@SabsCarpunder) March 31, 2020
Kids when they have their pizza party for the NFL playoff game on Nickelodeon. pic.twitter.com/3EbgwTh9Vr
— CS Nation (@_CSNation_) March 31, 2020
One of the playoff games added to the NFL calendar this year will be simulcast on Nickelodeon 😅 @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/fIbaWPE8Bn
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 31, 2020
You’ll have to wait until January 10, 2021 to catch the kid-friendly telecast, but it is happening.