WWE News: Major Kids Network Nickelodeon Set To Air WWE Slam City Starting Tomorrow

WWE has made strides in the PG world over the last decade. WWE has enjoyed the success of it all as their brand in PG has managed to make them millions more than what they were making before. While some may not like it, the WWE brand has thrived under the PG banner. That means the company can try to create material to center around the family or kid’s audience.

WWE Network began airing Slam City, a show that was heavily slanted towards kids. The show had some interesting merit as it was set in a time where WWE went out of business and the wrestlers had to find real jobs. The main issue with the entire thing was that WWE did not have any of the Superstars voice their character. It would be a lot of work of course, but it is a very weird thing to see.

Now it seems that WWE has made a terrific deal. They are teaming up with famed kids network Nickelodeon to air Slam City. The show will begin airing tomorrow on the network in Nick’s sports block. The block has a lot of sports themed shows as you can pretty much put together on your own. The sports block airs from 9-11 pm eastern on Wednesdays. So, now it appears WWE has their Wednesday show for fans.

While the WWE will probably still allow Slam City to air on the network for past shows, the new season will air on TV before it hits the network. Really, it all depends on the deal they made with Nick. More kids will see the show on Nick versus the Network….so this is a good concept by WWE. Here is the press release sent out by WWE about the move to Nick.

“NICKELODEON TEAMS UP WITH WWE® TO AIR WWE SLAM CITY™ ON NICKTOONS’ NICKSPORTS TV BLOCK

STAMFORD, Conn., October 21, 2014 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) and Nickelodeon today announced that WWE Slam City™, WWE’s kids property that includes an original animated short-form series, will debut tomorrow night during the NickSports programming block from 9–11 p.m. (ET) on Nicktoons. The 26-episode series is comprised of two-minute shorts featuringWWE Superstars John Cena®, Randy Orton®, Sheamus®, The Miz™, Rey Mysterio®, Kane® and Mark Henry® in a new animated world. The NickSports block airs every Wednesday from 9–11 p.m. (ET) on Nicktoons and features a rotating lineup of sports-themed content including series, specials and documentaries from leagues and key athletes, as well as acquired theatrical movies.

WWE Slam City, filmed in the next generation of stop-motion animation, features a new WWE animated character, The Finisher, who fires all of the WWE Superstars and sends them to WWE Slam City to find day jobs. With John Cena as an auto mechanic, Randy Orton as a zookeeper and Sheamusas a theater usher, these Superstars stay true to their WWE personas as they face life outside of the ring with new career challenges.

“This exciting partnership will allow us to bring WWE’s passionate fan base to the NickSports programming block while also creating new WWE fans through Nickelodeon’s massive audience,” said Michelle D. Wilson, Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer, WWE. “WWE programming reaches 3 million kids each week and we’re sure they’ll be excited to watch WWE on Nicktoons.”

“True to the spirit of the NickSports programming block, WWE Slam City offers kids and their families a fun, fresh way to experience these exciting WWE Superstars, and the series is a great complement to our diverse, and ever expanding, sports lineup,” said Keith Dawkins, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Nicktoons, TeenNick and Nick Jr.

WWE Slam City is a key component of WWE’s larger strategy to expand its reach to kids. In 2013, WWE’s national TV programming reached nearly 3 million kids each week, representing more than 20 percent of WWE’s average weekly TV audience. WWE also reaches kids through the number 2 action figure property in the U.S., WWE Studios productions of The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo WrestleMania Mystery and Christmas Bounty as well as partnerships with Mattel, Kraft Foods, Frito-Lay, Post Foods and MilkPEP. In addition, WWE supports programs that positively impact children and families around the world, including a 30-plus year relationship with Make-A-Wish as well as various literacy, education, anti-bullying and military initiatives.

Since its launch earlier this year, WWE Slam City has secured nearly 20 million views across a variety of platforms including WWEslamcity.com, Cartoonium, WWE Network, Hulu, Kabillion, Nintendo and AOL.”

While it may seem weird, this is WWE’s first jump to a major kids network.

WWE has been on MTV in the past with shows like Tough Enough, which is geared towards teens and young adults. However, a network as popular as Nickelodeon is a huge get for WWE. This is something that puts them in big with other entertainment parties. This is also WWE’s first working relationship with a Viacom network since they left them to sign on with NBC Universal years ago.

Slam City may not be WWE’s most popular show. However, for kids, it could be relatively big. That being said, more children could watch WWE as a result. This creates a larger audience. Just like with Total Divas, WWE could continue building up new demographics with TV shows geared to kids. They may not know what RAW and SmackDown are, but if people know of other WWE properties, the company still wins in the end.

[IMG Credits: WWE.com, WWESlamCity.com]