Nickelodeon today
announced that it will serve as entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series race on Saturday, May 9 at Kansas Speedway dubbed the SpongeBob
SquarePants 400.
“The SpongeBob
SquarePants 400 gives Nickelodeon the opportunity to expand its
relationship with NASCAR, while working with a best-in-class track to give fans
a unique, engaging and high-quality race experience that the whole family can
enjoy,” said Pam Kaufman, Chief Marketing Officer and President of Consumer
Products, Nickelodeon Group. “Nickelodeon has embarked on some great
initiatives with NASCAR over the last 10 years, sponsoring and participating in
marquee racing events that have resonated with motorsports fans across the
country.”
“I’m excited to partner
with Nickelodeon for the SpongeBob SquarePants 400 on May 9,” said
Patrick Warren, Kansas Speedway President. “This is a great opportunity for us
to engage SpongeBob fans of all ages to racing with a great partner.”
Also at the speedway,
attendees will be able to enjoy some pre-Mother’s Day fun in the Nickelodeon
Kids Zone, which will be located in the Kansas Speedway Fan Zone. The
area will feature appearances from the SpongeBob SquarePants costumed
characters, a SpongeBob SquarePants photo station and more.
Nickelodeon has a
long-standing relationship with NASCAR, teaming up with the motorsports giant
on several programming and racing events. On the track, the network has
sponsored the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 300 at Charlotte Motor
Speedway in Concord, NC in 2004; participated in the Bank of America 500 week
in 2012; and brought the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to the Atlanta
Motor Speedway for the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races
in 2014. NASCAR has also contributed talent and content to Nickelodeon
programming such as the Kids’ Choice Awards (Danica Patrick, 2012 and
2013), Kids’ Choice Sports Awards (Danica Patrick, 2014), Team
Umizoomi (Jeff Gordon, 2012), Hammer Down (2014) and an upcoming Bubble
Guppies episode (Jimmie Johnson, premiering in 2015).
Since its launch in July 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants has become
the most-watched animated program with kids age 2 – 11 for more than 13
consecutive years. Over the past several years, it has averaged more than
100,000,000 total viewers each quarter, across all Nickelodeon networks.
As the most widely distributed property in Viacom history, SpongeBob is seen in
over 185 countries and translated in more than 50 languages. The character-driven
cartoon chronicles the nautical and sometimes nonsensical adventures of
SpongeBob, an incurably optimist and earnest sea sponge, and his undersea
friends.
Jumping Jellyfish!
ReplyDeleteHis pants aren't square, they're a rectangle.
ReplyDeleteGreat job by Kansas Motor Speedway and Nascar!
SpongeBob will also appear as a SAFER barrier! - Ellen
ReplyDelete