Nickelodeon Announces Plans For Stand-Alone Subscription Service

If you’ve ever tried to withhold a tablet full of cartoons from the grasping clutches of a five-year-old intent on mainlining Dora the Explorer, then you know that children’s TV content is a pretty big deal. Often it’s the only thing that can prevent a total, shrieking, screaming, flailing and hysterical meltdown. Viacom will be trying to cash in on that need for kid fodder with a new stand-alone subscription service for Nickelodeon.

Viacom announced the direct-to-consumer service on a call with investors Thursday morning, reports Variety, saying that the more details about the service will be unveiled next month during what’s known as “upfront” meetings with advertisers.

The new offering will be aimed at those consumers who use mobile devices, Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman said during the call about Viacom’s finances. Though it’s a Nickelodeon service, he suggested that the service will have a different name or brand, and that it “will be very attractive to parents and children.”

This move by Viacom follows on the heels of HBO’s announcement last fall that it would be launching a stand-alone service sometime in 2015, while Starz also said it’s mulling the idea. CBS went a step further and began offering its “All Access” subscription-video service in October 2014, charging $5.99 per month for current and classic programming.

Nickelodeon to Unveil Stand-Alone Subscription Video Service in February [Variety]

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