Nickelodeon says its SpongeBob SquarePants television special, WhoBob WhatPants?, attracted nearly 8 million total viewers during Monday night’s primetime premiere. The 8 p.m. (ET/PT) debut reportedly ranked as the top entertainment show with total viewers and was the No. 1 program on broadcast and cable television for the night with all kids and tweens. In addition, the SpongeBob-themed Game of the Week, WhoBob WhatPants?, garnered 2.6 million game plays, the most ever generated by a game on www.nick.com since its launch. Broadband video content from the special on TurboNick enjoyed 2.2 million streams since the Oct. 12 launch on Nick.com.
In WhoBob WhatPants? SpongeBob is struck with amnesia and drifts from Bikini Bottom, leaving his friends in fear that they’ve lost their pal forever. Our absorbent friend wanders the ocean, a stranger in his own pants, until he encounters the leader of the dangerous Bubble Poppin’ Boys, voiced by actor Ray Liotta (Goodfellas), and accidentally becomes a hero. The special debuted on DVD on Tuesday and comes packaged with five episodes from the show’s fifth season and four original animated shorts.
SpongeBob SquarePants has been a top animated program with kids 2-11 for more than six consecutive years, and its Saturday-morning airing ranks as the top-rated program on television among kids 2-11, according to Nickelodeon. The show debuted in July of 1999 and is syndicated in 171 markets in 25 languages.
