| Nicktoonsters | |
| Replaced By: | Nicktoons Replay |
| Sister Channels: | Nicktoons Nickelodeon Nick Jr. Nick Jr. Too |
| Owner: | Nicktoons UK (Viacom International Media Networks Europe/Sky plc) |
| Picture Format: | 576i SDTV |
Nicktoonsters was a short-lived British and Irish television channel which launched on 18 August 2008. It was a spin-off channel of Nicktoons, targeted to a slightly younger audience.[1] It broadcast twelve hours per day from 7am to 7pm daily, with Paramount Comedy 2 +1 (later Comedy Central Extra +1) taking the other twelve hours in a channel-sharing arrangement.
Nicktoonsters' licence first appeared on the OFCOM website in September 2007.[2] The channel launched on Sky Digital on 18 August 2008 with a Rugrats marathon week before it commenced its regular schedule.[3]
Nicktoonsters ended its run on 31 July 2009 at 7pm, nearly a year after its launch. Nicktoons +1, known as Nicktoons Replay, replaced it in August 2009.[4] [5] Comedy Central Extra +1 eventually reclaimed the full 24 hours of channel space in October 2012 when Nicktoons Replay was discontinued and replaced by Nick Jr. +1.
Nicktoonsters' programming consisted of older library content from Nicktoons, including Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, The Wild Thornberrys, CatDog, and As Told by Ginger.[1] In the later months of the channel's existence, newer programmes such as The Fairly OddParents and SpongeBob SquarePants aired on holidays and weekends.