Raising Nickelodeon: what parents of kids 4–7 should know
Nickelodeon, the kids' cable channel, has no age rating of its own, because TV ratings in the US apply to each show, not to a channel. Its best-known cartoons, SpongeBob SquarePants and The Loud House, are rated TV-Y7, for ages 7 and up, on Paramount+. The channel runs a Nick Jr. block for preschoolers on weekday mornings and Nick at Nite at night, a separate block with its own lineup, according to Wikipedia. In 2016, New York's attorney general announced that Viacom, then Nickelodeon's owner, would pay $500,000 over online tracking on nick.com and nickjr.com.
Nickelodeon at a glance
- –Official rating above age 7
No official rating for a channel - –Violence in rating descriptors
No channel-level descriptors - –Scary content in rating descriptors
No channel-level descriptors - –Bad language in rating descriptors
No channel-level descriptors - –Sexual content, drugs, or alcohol in rating descriptors
No channel-level descriptors - –Rated 12 or higher in the UK or Germany
No channel-level BBFC or FSK rating
Each flag is a yes-or-no fact from the sources on this page. The number is a count of flags, not a safety score. How we count. Rating reasons marked mild, very mild, or brief don't count.
| Type | US kids' cable channel owned by Paramount; Nick Jr. block by day, Nick at Nite at night source |
|---|---|
| Example show ratings | SpongeBob SquarePants and The Loud House: TV-Y7 (for ages 7 and up) (per the US listing as indexed by search) source |
| Nick at Nite | A separate nighttime block, rated by Nielsen separately from Nickelodeon since 2004, per Wikipedia source |
| Nick app | Cord Cutters News reported in January 2024 that the Nick app had shut down source |
| State action (2016) | New York AG: Viacom paid $500,000 over tracking on nick.com and nickjr.com source |
Checked October 2026. Ratings and settings change; check the official source before you decide. What do these ratings mean?
Facts for parents, not medical or legal advice. If you're worried about your child, talk to your pediatrician.
What is Nickelodeon?
Short answer: A US cable TV channel for kids, owned by Paramount.
It's home to shows like SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol, and The Loud House. On weekdays, a Nick Jr. block for preschoolers airs in the morning, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET during the school year, and Nick at Nite takes over at night, according to Wikipedia. Nickelodeon shows also stream on Paramount+.
Nickelodeon: what's on it
Short answer: The channel isn't rated; each show carries its own US TV rating.
- SpongeBob SquarePants: TV-Y7, per Paramount+.
- The Loud House: TV-Y7, per Paramount+.
- PAW Patrol and other Nick Jr. shows: check each show's own page.
- Nick at Nite: a separate nighttime block. Nielsen has rated it separately from Nickelodeon since 2004.
We couldn't confirm the current Nick at Nite start time on an official schedule.
Nickelodeon online
Short answer: Cord Cutters News reported that the Nick app shut down; Nickelodeon shows stream on Paramount+.
Cord Cutters News reported in January 2024 that Paramount's cable-network apps, including Nick, shut down. We found no Nick app on the US App Store. In 2016, New York's attorney general announced that Viacom would pay $500,000 over third-party tracking on nick.com and nickjr.com, as part of a children's privacy sweep.
The habit kids may copy: channel surfing
On cable, one show rolls straight into the next, and there's no natural place to stop.
Try tonight: pick the show first
Before you turn on the TV, let your child choose one show. When it ends, say: "That was the show we picked. Now we're done." In our program, this is the lesson "Boss of My Want": "I want it now," and learning to wait.
Why you can trust this page: the main facts link to their sources, a separate reviewer checks each page before it goes live, and the date shows when we last checked. How we review · Report an error
FAQ
What is Nickelodeon rated?
Channels aren't rated in the US. Each show has its own rating; SpongeBob and The Loud House are TV-Y7 on Paramount+.
What time is Nick Jr. on Nickelodeon?
Wikipedia lists a weekday Nick Jr. block from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET during the school year.
Is there a Nickelodeon app?
Cord Cutters News reported in January 2024 that the Nick app had shut down. Nickelodeon shows stream on Paramount+.
Is Nick at Nite part of Nickelodeon?
It airs on the same channel at night, as a separate block that Nielsen rates separately.
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