Animax Japan to Run Nick Programming Block

TOKYO/SINGAPORE: Nick Time is a new Nickelodeon programming block that will air six days a week on Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Animax channel in Japan, reaching more than 8.3 million homes.

The Nickelodeon-branded block will launch on September 1 with episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants, with other Nick animated content rolling out in the near future. "The massive popularity of SpongeBob SquarePants paired with the passionate audience of Animax Japan makes this an exciting creative and business venture,” said Indra Suharjono, executive VP and managing director for MTV Networks North and Southeast Asia. “This partnership allows us to bring some of Nickelodeon’s biggest hits to a new animation-loving Japanese audience, and we’re looking forward to working closely with Animax to showcase the best of Nickelodeon’s animated series in Japan.”

Masato Oda, deputy president and general manager of Animax Broadcast Japan, added, "ANIMAX caters to a wide audience and is especially strong in the kids demographic—which tends to be a competitive area within the pay TV industry. With the addition of SpongeBob, we intend to strengthen our ratings performance in the kids category. I look forward to seeing the program gain high popularity on our channel, like it has around the world."

Nick Time will air from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Monday to Friday, encoring from 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. Sundays.