Universal Kids, the youth-oriented network that began life as the preschool-centric PBS Kids Sprout (and later, Sprout) before being rebranded as a destination for a wider age range in 2017, is shutting down, Variety has confirmed. The network is expected to go dark on March 6, with an on-screen slate after that directing audiences to other platforms.
The news means Universal Kids won’t be part of the stable of cablers that transition to the new SpinCo entity set to be run by Mark Lazarus and include MSNBC, CNBC, USA Network, Oxygen, E!, Syfy and Golf Channel.
“NBCUniversal remains committed to family entertainment, including award-winning brands Illumination and Dreamworks Animation, as well as kids-focused programming on Peacock,” the company said in a statement.
The fate of Universal Kids had been unclear since NBCU announced the decision to spin off most of its cable networks (with the exception of Bravo) into the new entity, as its press release failed to include it among the list of channels that will populate the new company (presently being referred to as “SpinCo”).
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In a final effort to grow Universal Kids, NBCU attempted to tie the network closer to DreamWorks Animation, which the conglom bought in August 2016 for approximately $3.8 billion. Starting in 2019, the network mostly stopped developing original shows that were not based on DreamWorks properties; its final slate of original fare included DreamWorks’ “Dragons: Riders of Berk” and “DreamWorks’ Where’s Waldo.”
The network also aired a handful of preschool series, including “Noddy Toyland Detective” and “Masha and the Bear”; its current lineup appears to consist almost entirely of this fare.
In primetime this past year, Universal Kids averaged 20,000 viewers, down 5% from the previous year. But all kids-targeted linear networks have suffered over the past decade as young viewers no longer watch traditional television in large numbers.
PBS Kids Sprout launched in 2005 (the year before YouTube changed the kids’ TV game) as a joint venture between Comcast, PBS, Sesame Workshop and HIT Television Ventures. NBCU bought out Sesame Workshop’s stake in December 2012, followed by the other owners in 2013, After that, the channel was rebranded as simply Sprout.
After it changed the channel to Universal Kids in 2017, the network began creating kid-centric versions of popular NBCU franchises including “American Ninja Warrior Junior” and “Top Chef Junior.” The channel’s demise was first revealed by New York cable operator Margaretville Telephone Co. on Jan. 7 and then written first by Cord Cutters News.
NBCU has perhaps been the most aggressive of legacy cable network owners willing to shut down its underperforming channels; in recent years that has included Style, G4, Esquire, Cloo, Chiller and NBCSN.