Nick Jr. (channel)

The Nick Jr. Channel (sometimes shortened to Nick Jr.) is a 24/7 cable network spun off from Nickelodeon's long-running preschool educational programming block of the same name. It launched on September 28, 2009, replacing the channel space held by Noggin. The Noggin brand stayed dormant for several years, but it was eventually relaunched as a streaming service in March 2015.
==History==
===Origins (1988-2009)=== 
:→ Main article: Nick Jr. (block)
===2009-2018===
The Nick Jr. Channel launched on September 28, 2009. It is named after the long-running Nick Jr. block which is seen on the main Nickelodeon channel. When the channel launched, it replaced the channel space previously held by Noggin. The Noggin brand was eventually relaunched as a streaming service in March 2015.
From its launch in 2009 until 2015, the channel would have a different "theme" each month. A short, animated music video was produced for each theme. In addition, selected episodes of the channel's programs that were related to a certain theme (such as pirates or music) were shown. Examples included "Wild Safari" (animals) and "Spooky Tales" (Halloween).
Most Nick Jr. programming is aged 0 to 6 years old. A late-night programming block aimed at parents, NickMom, aired on Nick Jr. from October 1, 2012 to September 28, 2015.
As of August 2013, the Nick Jr. channel is available to approximately 76,389,000 pay television households (66.89% of households with television) in the United States.
===2018-present===
On May 21, 2018, the channel refreshed their imaging with new interstitial pieces and updated curriculum notices, and began to promote themselves as the "Nick Jr. Channel" audibly and visually to avert confusion with the Nickelodeon block.https://nickalive.blogspot.com/2018/05/nickelodeon-usa-debuts-nick-jr-rebrand.html?m=0 The Dora the Explorer episode "Dora Rocks!" was the first program to air with this look.
FuboTV (an internet television service founded in 2015) added Nick Jr. to their live TV service, along with VH1, MTV, CMT and more on April 30, 2019. Nick Jr. programs can also be found on its Nick Jr. Pluto TV channel.
===Noggin Hour block===
From May 2021 to May 2023, the Nick Jr. Channel aired an hour-long block of programming from the Noggin app every Friday. The block, called Noggin Hour, featured shows like Noggin Knows and JoJo & Gran Gran. Noggin interstitials played during commercial breaks, and a purple screen bug reading "On Noggin" was shown toward the beginning of each show.
On days when the block ran for more than an hour, the NickJr.com schedule listed the block under an alternate title: "Noggin Presents."
==Programs==
The Nick Jr. Channel's schedule primarily consists of reruns from Nickelodeon's preschool programming library, along with a few original series exclusive to the channel. Such content includes Blue's Clues & You!, PAW Patrol, Peppa Pig, Bubble Guppies, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Santiago of the Seas, Ryan's Mystery Playdate, Baby Shark's Big Show!, and The Adventures of Paddington.
In a similar manner to its sister channel Nicktoons, the channel is sometimes used to premiere remaining episodes of shows that originated on the main Nickelodeon channel, but due to declining in viewership or poor viewership, were relegated to airing exclusively on the Nick Jr. channel. This includes the following:
* The Backyardigans
* Yo Gabba Gabba!
* Mike the Knight
* Lalaloopsy
* Wallykazam!
* Dora and Friends: Into the City!
* Fresh Beat Band of Spies
* Shimmer and Shine
* Kuu Kuu Harajuku (despite the series not fitting the channel's target demographic)
* Nella the Princess Knight
* Sunny Day
* Rusty Rivets
* Butterbean's Café
* Corn & Peg
* Ricky Zoom
* Abby Hatcher
* Face's Music Party (season 1 finale only)
* Blue's Clues & You!
* Bossy Bear
* Baby Shark's Big Show!
==Related services==
===High-definition feed===
An HD feed of the channel was launched on August 1, 2013, broadcasting at 1080i 60 lines. As of 2017, many cable providers, along with DIRECTV, U-verse TV, and Verizon FiOS, carry the HD simulcast feed and downscale it to letterboxed 480i for the standard definition feed.
===Nick Jr. on Demand===
Nick Jr. on Demand is the network's video-on-demand service, which is available on most subscription providers. It carries Nickelodeon's preschool programming.
===Nick Jr. on Pluto TV===
Streaming service Pluto TV, which Viacom acquired in January 2019, added a free version of Nick Jr. on May 1, consisting mainly of older library and archive content.
==Videos==
Nick Jr It's Like Preschool On TV promo (2011)|A promo for the channel made in 2011.
Nick Jr. The Smart Place to Play Wild Safari|A music video for one of the channel's monthly themes: Wild Safari.
== See Also==
*Nick Jr. (block)
*List of programs broadcast by Nick Jr. (channel)
==References==
==External links==
*Official website
*Nick Jr. Wiki
*Nickstory Jr. Archives
Category:Channels
Category:Nick Jr.
Category:Nickelodeon
Category:Viacom
Category:National Amusements
Category:Spin-off networks