Nick, NFL Partner on Short-Form Series

NEW YORK: Nickelodeon and the National Football League (NFL) are working together on Rush Zone: Guardians of the Core, a new short-form animated series that will air on Nicktoons.

The 22-episode production is based on NFL Rush Zone, the sports league’s online destination for kids. The 2- to 5-minute shorts will feature Ishmael, a 10-year-old boy who learns that all 32 NFL stadiums serve as secret strongholds of a benevolent life force that must guard from an evil villain, Sudden Death. To stop Sudden Death, Ish is given the physical abilities of an NFL football player, as well as super powers. The show air weekly from September to February (coinciding with the NFL season), wrapping with a one-hour movie special the day before the Super Bowl. Following the Nicktoons premiere, episodes will be available on Nicktoons.com and NFLRUSH.com.

Announcing the deal, Keith Dawkins, Nicktoons’ general manager and the senior VP of Nickelodeon programming partnerships, commented: "To be able to bring the power of two brands that boys love, the NFL and Nickelodeon, together under one roof and leverage the best of what we both do is extremely exciting. This new series combines fantasy, sports, game play, team work, competition and the age-old theme of good vs. evil, under one compelling new narrative."