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ViacomCBS Enlists SpongeBob to Help Fight Its Streaming Rivals
- Cartoon star anchors bid to woo kids to online video service
- Company taps vast library of shows for all ages to spur growth
Photographer: Theo Wargo/Getty Images
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For 21 years, Nickelodeon has relied on “SpongeBob SquarePants” to draw young viewers to TV. Now, the cable network wants its underwater character to lure tots and their parents to the internet.
ViacomCBS Inc., which owns Nickelodeon, is adding the entire catalog of “SpongeBob SquarePants” to its CBS All Access streaming service on Thursday, and will release “Kamp Koral,” a spinoff show, on the service early next year. “Kamp Koral” will arrive around the same time a new “SpongeBob” movie appears on All Access, making it the online home for one of the most popular kids’ franchises.