Paramount is consolidating around its biggest franchises and cutting everything else. SpongeBob is the No. 1 kids’ property on any platform, and the strategy is already visible before the Warner merger closes.
Nickelodeon has four seasons of two shows in production right now.
SpongeBob SquarePants Season 18 and The Patrick Star Show Season 6 arrive in the fourth quarter of 2026. Seasons 19 and 7 follow in 2027.
Dora and Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were canceled.
Why Nickelodeon is renewing and canceling at the same time
Both decisions fit a programming shift that followed the Paramount-Skydance merger, prioritizing top franchises across the Paramount cable brands now consolidated into a TV Media division overseen by chair George Cheeks.
Franchises that perform get multiple seasons ordered at once. Everything else gets cut, including Paramount+ originals.
PAW Patrol and spinoff Rubble & Crew received the same treatment, picked up for 26 episodes each, covering seasons 14 and 15 for PAW Patrol and 5 and 6 for Rubble & Crew.
How big SpongeBob actually is
SpongeBob SquarePants is the No. 1 cross-platform franchise of 2026 to date among kids aged 6 to 11, according to Nielsen data cited by Nickelodeon.
It airs in more than 180 markets, translated into over 30 languages, and averages more than 90 million total viewers per quarter.
The series launched July 17, 1999. It is the longest-running kids’ animated series on television, created by Stephen Hillenburg and produced by Nickelodeon in Burbank.
Three theatrical films have grossed $470.9 million worldwide combined, led by 2015’s “Sponge Out of Water” at over $325 million.
Is Patrick leaving SpongeBob?
Nickelodeon addressed this directly, which means enough people asked.
He is not. The network confirmed it alongside the Season 18 renewal.
The Patrick Star Show is also continuing through at least Season 7.
What Nickelodeon has coming this fall
Several dated items land in October.
Avatar: Seven Havens premieres Oct. 9 on Paramount+.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide arrives on Nintendo Switch on Oct. 13. Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game gets a physical release on PS5, Switch and Switch 2 on Oct. 28.
HexVets & Magic Pets premieres on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. this fall after an Australian debut on ABC Kids in June.
Hollywood Arts arrives on Netflix on Oct. 15, with a Nickelodeon television premiere to follow.
Avatar is Nickelodeon’s other franchise bet
The property has expanded into a full production pipeline.
Avatar Studios was formed in 2021 by series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko to expand the world beyond the original series and The Legend of Korra.
“Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender” reached Paramount+ this summer, with Eric Nam as Aang, Dave Bautista, Jessica Matten, Román Zaragoza, Steven Yeun and Dionne Quan, alongside Ke Huy Quan, Taika Waititi and Freida Pinto.
The live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender returned for its second season on June 25.
Nickelodeon is also going into physical attractions
PAW Patrol Rescue Pups: An Immersive Experience, a touring family attraction from Paramount Products & Experiences and Egan Productions, opens in Dallas this fall before expanding to additional cities in 2027.
Presale waitlists are open.
How this compares to Cartoon Network
The contrast matters given that both networks may soon share an owner.
Cartoon Network Studios merged into Warner Bros. Animation in 2022, lost its dedicated Burbank building in 2023, and saw combined Cartoon Network and Adult Swim advertising revenue fall 83 percent between 2014 and 2024.
Nickelodeon is ordering multiple seasons of multiple franchises, releasing films, licensing games and launching a touring attraction.
Both networks have lost most of their linear viewership. Only one has kept a franchise that works everywhere else.
If Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery closes, the two land under the same roof with very different momentum.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
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NickALive! (June 2026), the SpongeBob and Patrick Star renewals, the Nielsen ranking, the PAW Patrol pickups, the cancellations and George Cheeks’ TV Media consolidation
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Nickelodeon Wiki, the 2026 premiere calendar including Avatar: Seven Havens and the game release dates
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NickALive! (August 2026), the Avatar Aang cast and the PAW Patrol Rescue Pups announcement
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Deadline, via Yahoo, the SpongeBob theatrical grosses
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IMDb, the Avatar Studios formation and creator involvement
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Bloomberg Businessweek, via Axios, the Cartoon Network and Adult Swim advertising decline
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