Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon is gearing up to air the Super Bowl for the first time in network history, and anyone who tunes in will apparently be able to experience what is poised to be an absolutely electric musical performance featuring a song that’s very familiar to anyone who’s a fan of SpongeBob SquarePants.
It’s been a few years since the NFL linked up with Nickelodeon for the kid-friendly (and slime-centric) broadcast we were treated to for the first time when the Saints and the Bears went head-to-head in the wild card round in 2021.
The channel now has four of those broadcasts under its belt—including the one where the world got a chance to see Russell Wilson get absolutely roasted by a cartoon starfish after he threw an interception on Christmas in 2022. However, it will be dealing with its brightest spotlight to date when Super Bowl LVIII rolls around.
It’s safe to assume the vast majority of the tens of millions of viewers who will tune in to watch the 49ers face off against the Chiefs are going to be relying on CBS, but if you’re looking for a change of pace, you’ll be able to watch characters from SpongeBob SquarePants step into various broadcast roles on Nickelodeon over the course of the contest.
When I initially heard about those plans, I joked that the broadcast should eschew the traditional halftime show in favor of a performance of “Sweet Victory,” the absolute banger of a tune SpongeBob and Co. performed during the Bubble Bowl in “Band Geeks,” the classic episode from the show’s second season.
According to Front Office Sports, the folks at Nickelodeon are apparently operating on a similar wavelength, as the network’s parent company has announced anyone who tunes in prior to kickoff will get to see SpongeBob perform “Sweet Victory” in all its glory.
CBS has confirmed that SpongeBob will perform "Sweet Victory" to kickoff Nickelodeon's first-ever Super Bowl broadcast. pic.twitter.com/zYq5Lb0WTh
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) February 1, 2024
In the immortal words of Bart Scott: CAN’T WAIT!