Nickelodeon Germany
A German children's free-to-air television channel serving children and families in Germany and German-speaking neighboring markets.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Nickelodeon Germany is the German-market edition of the international Nickelodeon children's television brand. The channel primarily targets children between approximately six and thirteen years old and combines animated series, live-action programming, locally produced formats, films, branded events and acquired children's entertainment. It is distributed through German television platforms and satellite services, with availability varying by provider and market. The main service is based in Berlin and has historically operated alongside localized feeds or schedules for Austria and German-speaking Switzerland. The first German Nickelodeon service launched on 5 July 1995 through a joint venture in which Viacom held the majority stake and Ravensburger's film and television division held a minority interest. The original channel had a restricted daily schedule and initially relied on satellite and selected cable distribution. It faced strong competition from the public-service children's channel Der Kinderkanal, later known as KiKA, as well as from established commercial children's programming. Weak advertising performance and distribution limitations contributed to substantial losses, and the original service closed on 31 May 1998. Nickelodeon programming subsequently continued to reach German audiences through arrangements with RTL and Super RTL. Viacom relaunched the German service on 12 September 2005 under the shorter name Nick. The relaunch followed the replacement of MTV2 Pop's channel capacity and gave the brand a new platform for international series and German-produced programming. A prime-time comedy block called Nick Comedy was part of the initial schedule, and local production expanded from 2006 onward. The channel also experimented with family-oriented and older-audience programming, including Nick nach acht, a local adaptation of the Nick at Nite concept, before Comedy Central assumed the evening timeslot in 2008. The service moved between the Nick and Nickelodeon names as part of wider international brand strategies. On 31 March 2010, the full Nickelodeon name returned, accompanied by the international logo and graphics package. Nick Premium, a related subscription service, became Nicktoons. Nickelodeon Germany introduced high-definition broadcasting in 2011 and became a 24-hour channel in October 2014. Its overnight schedule was then branded Nicknight, although that block was discontinued on the German feed in 2018. The channel shortened its on-air name to Nick in June 2017, restored Nickelodeon branding in August 2023, and added an English-language secondary audio option. The brand has also developed adjacent services. Nick Jr. operates as a preschool-oriented channel and previously appeared as a programming block, while Nicktoons focuses on animated Nickelodeon programming. Austrian and Swiss versions have operated under separate arrangements, including timesharing and local licensing. The Austrian subfeed ended in 2025, leaving the Swiss service as the remaining notable German-language subfeed described in the reference material. Nickelodeon Germany remains part of Paramount's international children's television portfolio. In 2024, RTL Group sought to acquire the German channel as part of a proposed strategy involving a possible Toggo rebrand and continued German broadcast rights for Nickelodeon programming. Germany's Federal Cartel Office blocked the proposed transaction in September 2024, so the service continued under the Nickelodeon/Paramount structure described by the available sources.
History
Nickelodeon first entered the German television market on 5 July 1995 through a joint venture between Viacom and Ravensburger's film and television division. Viacom held the dominant share, while Ravensburger held a minority interest. The service initially broadcast for limited hours over the DFS Kopernikus satellite and through some cable systems, with live presentation originating in Düsseldorf. Its schedule expanded later in 1995, but satellite and terrestrial capacity arrangements meant that the channel shared transmission windows with other services, including Arte and VH-1 Germany. The launch placed Nickelodeon in direct competition with Germany's growing children's television sector. The arrival of Der Kinderkanal, now KiKA, in January 1997 weakened Nickelodeon's distribution position on a number of cable systems. The channel also struggled to attract enough advertising revenue and was unable to match the reach and performance of its principal competitors. Viacom decided to close the original service, which ended its transmission on 31 May 1998. Nickelodeon programming did not disappear entirely from Germany: Viacom subsequently arranged for programs to be shown through RTL-owned services, including Super RTL and a weekend Nicktoons block on RTL. A new German service was announced in April 2005 and launched on 12 September of that year under the name Nick. It occupied capacity formerly associated with MTV2 Pop and initially used Nick Comedy as a prime-time programming block. The relaunch combined internationally sourced Nickelodeon content with German productions, which began appearing more prominently from 2006. A German Kids' Choice Awards edition was produced and broadcast in 2007. In early 2008, Nick also tested Nick nach acht, a family and older-viewer block inspired by Nick at Nite. That experiment ended when Comedy Central Germany took over the evening period in December 2008. The service's international identity was restored on 31 March 2010, when Nick again became Nickelodeon on air and online. The same transition introduced the contemporary international logo and graphics package, while the premium animated channel was renamed Nicktoons. Nickelodeon Germany added high-definition transmission in June 2011. In October 2014 it became a 24-hour channel, with the former shared evening capacity used for the Nicknight overnight block. Nicknight ended on the German feed in November 2018, after which the evening capacity was used by MTV+ and later Comedy Central +1. The channel shortened its name to Nick in June 2017, reflecting another international branding cycle. On 1 August 2023 it once again adopted Nickelodeon branding, following a broader international rebrand. Since that change, the service has also offered English audio on a secondary track alongside German programming where available. Regional services developed alongside the main German feed. An Austrian subfeed launched in June 2006 and initially shared capacity with VIVA Austria. It later operated with Comedy Central Austria and, from 2014, carried Nicknight during overnight hours. A Swiss German-language subfeed launched in April 2009 and subsequently operated through local carriage and licensing arrangements. Nick Jr. began as a programming block before becoming a dedicated channel in March 2009, and Nicktoons developed from the former Nick Premium service. The corporate future of the German channel became a subject of regulatory review in 2024. RTL Group announced an agreement to acquire the service from Paramount Global, with a proposed relationship to RTL's Toggo children's brand. The German Federal Cartel Office blocked the transaction in September 2024. The available reference therefore records Nickelodeon Germany as continuing under Paramount's ownership, while the Austrian subfeed was replaced by the German feed at the end of June 2025.
- 2025
Austrian subfeed discontinued
[1]The Austrian subfeed ended at the end of June and was replaced by the German feed.
- 2024
Proposed RTL acquisition blocked
[1]The Federal Cartel Office blocked RTL Group's proposed purchase of Nickelodeon Germany.
- 2023
Nickelodeon branding returns
[1]The channel restored the full Nickelodeon identity on 1 August and added English as a secondary audio option.
- 2018
Nicknight ends in Germany
[1]Nicknight was replaced on the German feed by MTV+ programming from 1 November.
- 2017
Brand shortened to Nick
[1]The channel reverted to the shorter Nick name on 28 June.
- 2014
24-hour service and Nicknight
[1]The German feed became a full-day channel and introduced the Nicknight overnight block.
- 2011
HD broadcasting begins
[1]Nickelodeon Germany started broadcasting in high definition on 1 June.
- 2010
Nickelodeon name restored
[1]The service resumed using the full Nickelodeon name and adopted the international logo package.
- 2009
Nick Jr. becomes a channel
[1]The preschool-oriented Nick Jr. service moved from block programming to a dedicated channel in Germany.
- 2007
German Kids' Choice Awards edition
[1]A special German version of the Kids' Choice Awards was produced and broadcast.
Products and positioning
A mainstream, internationally branded children's entertainment channel combining Nickelodeon franchises with German-language scheduling and selected local productions for children and families.
Free-to-air children's television channel · 1995
Nickelodeon Germany
The core German-language Nickelodeon service, offering animated series, live-action shows, films, locally produced formats and branded children's programming for a core audience of approximately six- to thirteen-year-olds. It is distributed through satellite, cable, IPTV and other television platforms, subject to operator availability. The service has alternated between the Nickelodeon and Nick names as part of wider international brand refreshes.
Subscription children's television channel · 2007
Nicktoons Germany
An associated channel focused primarily on animated Nickelodeon programming. It began in Germany as Nick Premium in December 2007 and was subsequently rebranded Nicktoons. Its programming proposition complements the main channel by concentrating on animated series and repeat-friendly franchise content.
Preschool television channel · 2005
Nick Jr. Germany
A preschool-oriented Nickelodeon service for younger children. Nick Jr. initially appeared as a programming block and became a dedicated channel in 2009, extending the Nickelodeon portfolio below the main channel's school-age audience.
Programming block · 2014
Nicknight
An overnight programming block that operated across German-language Nickelodeon feeds from 2014. It carried programming for older children, teenagers and families during late hours. The German version ended in 2018, while Austrian and Swiss versions continued until later regional schedule changes.
Brand decisions
2024
Proposed sale to RTL GroupM&ABackground
Paramount Global sought to refocus resources around Paramount+ and Pluto TV, while RTL Group proposed incorporating the channel into its children's television strategy.
Action taken
RTL Group agreed to a proposed acquisition that could have led to a Toggo-branded channel and continued German rights for Nickelodeon programs.
Aftermath
Germany's Federal Cartel Office blocked the transaction on 17 September 2024, so the proposed transfer did not proceed according to the cited reference.
2014
Convert the channel to 24-hour broadcastingStrategyBackground
Nickelodeon shared evening capacity with Comedy Central and needed a revised arrangement for the German feed.
Action taken
Nickelodeon Germany became a 24-hour channel and introduced Nicknight as its overnight block.
Aftermath
The arrangement lasted until Nicknight ended on the German feed in 2018, after which other Viacom programming occupied the overnight period.
2005
Relaunch as NickStrategyBackground
Viacom sought to re-establish a dedicated Nickelodeon service in Germany after the closure of the original channel.
Action taken
A new channel launched on 12 September under the shorter Nick identity, using capacity formerly associated with MTV2 Pop.
Aftermath
The relaunch created the foundation for the current German service and enabled later local programming and related channels.
1998
Close the original German serviceStrategyBackground
The first German Nickelodeon service faced weak advertising performance, limited distribution and strong competition from Der Kinderkanal.
Action taken
Viacom closed the original channel on 31 May 1998 and subsequently used third-party German broadcasters to distribute Nickelodeon programming.
Aftermath
Nickelodeon content remained available in Germany through RTL-related outlets until the brand's dedicated channel relaunched in 2005.
Reported loss. 150 million Deutsche Mark loss associated with the original service (1995-1998)
Recent events
- 2025
Nickelodeon Austria feed ends and German feed takes over[1]
Other
At the end of June 2025, the Austrian subfeed stopped broadcasting and was replaced by the German feed.
- 2024
RTL Group proposes acquiring Nickelodeon Germany[1]
M&A
RTL Group reached an announced agreement with Paramount Global to acquire the German channel, with a possible future Toggo identity and continued rights for Nickelodeon programming under the proposal.
- 2024
German Federal Cartel Office blocks RTL's proposed purchase[1]
M&A · Regulation
The Federal Cartel Office announced that it had prevented RTL Group's proposed acquisition of Nickelodeon Germany, leaving the channel within Paramount's structure according to the cited account.
- 2023
Nickelodeon Germany returns to the full Nickelodeon name[1]
Other · Product generation
The German service restored the Nickelodeon name and adopted the international branding package after a period in which it was presented as Nick.
Sources2 sources
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