Spongebob to co-host Nickelodeon's Super Bowl LVIII broadcast

The folks that gifted us Slimed Mike McCarthy, Patrick Star’s commentary of a Russell Wilson interception, and the Mitchell Trubisky NVP are coming back for the Super Bowl.

Viacom has announced that Nickelodeon will handle the first-ever alternate Super Bowl telecast. Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick Star will join Nate Burleson and Noah Eagle in the broadcast booth, with sideline reporter Sandy Cheeks and additional cameos from Larry the Lobster, Dora the Explorer, and Boots. Dylan “Young Dylan” Gilmer and Dylan Schefter of “NFL Slimetime” will also report live from Allegiant Stadium.

In addition, Nickelodeon will also air a simulcast called “NFL Nickmas Game with the Ninja Turtles.” Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Raphael and Donatello will join Nate Burleson and Noah Eagle in various roles during the Chiefs-Raiders game. According to reports, the Nickmas broadcast will feature “upgraded virtual cannons” for slime and cameos from Santa and a yeti.

Both broadcasts will air exclusively on Nickelodeon, with CBS and Paramount+ carrying the traditional presentations of both games.

The move represents the largest expansion of Nickelodeon’s youth-specific broadcasts to date. Nickelodeon began the broadcasts during the 2021 Wild Card round. More recently, ESPN and Disney introduced their first competitor to the space this season with a Toy Story-themed broadcast during Week 4’s Jaguars-Falcons game.