Netflix & Nickelodeon Are Joining Forces To Create Original New Animated Content

Could Netflix be the home of a new SpongeBob Squarepants spin off? Aye, aye, Captain! As it turns out, Netflix and Nickelodeon are joining forces. The streaming company announced a multi-year deal with the children's television network on Wednesday that will see Nickelodeon produce original animated content for Netflix.

While details surrounding the deal remain vague, The New York Times reported Netflix's new partnership with Nickelodeon will bring content centered around Spongebob's cynical neighbor Squidward to the streaming platform. But Spongebob, or in this case, Squidward, reportedly aren't the only Nickelodeon characters expected to find new homes on Netflix. According to Netflix, the multi-year output deal with Nickelodeon will result in animated films and television shows based on Nickelodeon's extensive library of characters as well as new characters.

"Nickelodeon has generated scores of characters that kids love, and we look forward to telling wholly original stories that re-imagine and expand on the worlds they inhabit," Melissa Cobb, Netflix's vice president of original animation, said in a statement. "We're thrilled to continue collaborating with Brian Robbins, Ramsey Naito, and the creative team at Nickelodeon in new ways as we look to find fresh voices and bring bold stories to our global audience on Netflix."

Netflix subscribers may remember that the streaming platform recently teamed up with Nickelodeon to bring viewers Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus and Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling. The new deal announced Thursday is said to be an expansion of the relationship which resulted in those titles, as well as upcoming specials based on Nickelodeon's The Loud House and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Netflix is also reported to have recently added a number of Nickelodeon titles to its streaming library, including Victorious, Sam & Cat, and Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie, according to The Verge.

"Nickelodeon's next step forward is to keep expanding beyond linear platforms, and our broader content partnership with Netflix is a key path toward that goal," Nickelodeon president Brian Robbins said of the deal. "The Nickelodeon Animation Studio is home to the world-class artists and storytellers behind some of the most iconic characters and shows ever made, and our head of Animation, Ramsey Naito, has been building on that legacy over the past year by ramping up development and production exponentially."

In fact, Robbins said ideas and work are already "flowing" at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio: "We can't wait to work with Melissa and the Netflix team on a premium slate of original animated content for kids and families around the world."