Nickelodeon (Indian TV channel)

Nickelodeon was launched in India on 16 October 1999. Zee TV was in charge of distributing the channel to cable operators, in a deal made with Viacom.[2]

Also, Zee TV launched a Nickelodeon-branded programming block on its main channel, also called "Zee TV", as part of a distribution deal between Viacom International and Zee Entertainment Enterprises. It was replaced by the Cartoon Network block in 2002.[2][3]

In 2004 Viacom revamped Nickelodeon in India to increase its viewership, including branding the channel just as Nick, creating local programs and launching a Hindi audio track.[4][5]

Viacom signed a programming deal with Sun Network in 2007 according to which Nickelodeon shows will air on Chutti TV dubbed in Tamil and Telugu. This deal was later cancelled when Nickelodeon decided to add Tamil and Telugu audio tracks to their own channel.[6]

On 25 June 2010 Nick India was rebranded, using the newly launched logo used in the US. It was the last major market to undergo this makeover.[7]

In 2011, Viacom 18 launched a new channel called Sonic.[8] Initially the channel was focused on action and adventure, before switching their focus to comedy in 2016.[9]

Viacom 18 Motion Pictures distributed Keymon & Nani in Space Adventure, a film based on the Nickelodeon India series Keymon Ache in 2012.[10] Another theatrical film, Motu Patlu: King Of Kings from the Motu Patlu franchise was released in Hindi and Tamil on 14 October 2016.[11]

Nick Jr. India was launched in late 2012 after being spun off from the main channel.[12] TeenNick aired in the evenings before 1 February 2017, when it was discontinued.

In 2013 the channel hosted its first localised Kids Choice Awards.[13]

On 5 December 2015, Viacom 18 launched Nickelodeon HD+, the first children's channel in high definition in India.[14] It originates a different schedule than the main network, including previously unaired international programming such as The Legend of Korra.

In March 2016, Viacom 18 launched a Nick programming block named "Nick Hour" on their free-to-air channel Rishtey.[15] The programming consists of shows like Motu Patlu, Pakdam Pakdai, The Jungle Book, Go, Diego, Go!, Keymon Ache and Chhoti Anandi (Colors series).

Nick India added a Kannada audio track to the channel on 1 September 2018. Four additional language tracks in Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati and Malayalam were added in 2020.[16]

Nick India announced its first co-production with Nickelodeon US called The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj, slated to air internationally in 2021.[17]

In the channel's first years of broadcasting it aired mostly original programmes from the US, such as Rugrats, Aaahh! Real Monsters, As Told by Ginger, Rocket Power, The Wild Thornberrys, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Rocko's Modern Life, The Angry Beavers, CatDog, Hey Arnold!, The Fairly OddParents and Danny Phantom. The network also aired live action shows, such as Kenan & Kel, Drake & Josh, Clarissa Explains It All, Legends of the Hidden Temple, Nick Bites and many more.

After the success of Nickelodeon U.S. game shows, Nick India produced two local game shows, Dum Dama Dum[18] and Gilli Gilli Gappa.[19] They launched J Bole Toh Jadoo, a spin-off series of 2003's Koi... Mil Gaya. The series premiered on 14 November 2005 on Children's Day.

In 2006 Nick India started acquiring Japanese animated shows such as Ninja Hattori, Perman and Mighty Cat Masked Niyander.[20]

Nick started airing Colors's show Jai Shri Krishna in 2009. The show was re-edited and customized for a younger audience.[21] They also acquired Little Krishna, an animated series produced by BIG Animation India and The Indian Heritage Foundation in May 2009.[22] Also, in 2009 the channel started acquried the French series Oggy and the Cockroaches.

Starting in 2011, Nickelodeon India started producing local animated shows, starting with Keymon Ache and a theatrical movie based on the series.[10] The local strategy became successful with Motu Patlu in 2012, and they later launched more local animated series like Pakdam Pakdai in 2013, Shiva in 2015, Gattu Battu in 2017, Rudra in 2018 and Ting Tong in 2020. The success with domestic product gave the network the latitude to reduce their dependence on American content (which had proven long-term to have little connection to Indian viewers), and with the launch of Nickelodeon HD+ in 2018, most foreign content from the American and British networks migrated to that channel space instead. Prevalently, animated content has proven to do well for the network, while American live-action content has generally garnered low ratings.[23][5][24][4]

• Nickelodeon (Pakistan)
• Nickelodeon (United States)
• Disney Channel (India)
• Cartoon Network (India)

• Official website