The Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints are focused on their NFC Wild Card matchup on the field, but fans are seemingly enjoying the battle as it is broadcast in a decidedly non-traditional way on Nickelodeon.
The children’s TV network is broadcasting the game along with CBS, complete with a unique announcing crew that includes Noah Eagle – son of NFL broadcaster Ian Eagle – and former NFL star Nate Burleson. Nickelodeon stars Gabrielle Nevaeh Green and Lex Lumpkin are also participating in the live broadcast of the game.
The broadcast, which led off with a SpongeBob Squarepants “pregame show,” made changes to plenty of conventional NFL broadcasting customs, including the first down lines on the field, which are stylized with Nickelodeon colors:
The broadcast made it a point to reference a slew of shows, including “SpongeBob Squarepants,” “Hey Arnold!” and others:
When Michael Thomas scored the first touchdown of the game for the Saints, the network’s broadcast deployed the virtual “slime cannons” for the celebration:
Fans, needless to say, are enjoying the broadcast a lot: