Overview
PBS KIDS SproutSM (SproutOnline.com) the first 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for kids ages 2-5 and their parents and caregivers, was created as a partnership among Comcast Corporation, the country's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services; HIT Entertainment, a leading provider of quality entertainment for young children; PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), the most trusted distributor of award-winning children's programming; and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street®.
The 24-hour digital channel, which launched in September 2005 along with the website, is the only channel that follows the day of child from breakfast to bedtime with its distinctive programming. Currently, Sprout is available on digital cable and satellite to 48 million homes and is distributed by Comcast, Cox Communications, DirecTV, Insight, RCN, Time Warner, Verizon and AT&T. The network's program lineup of more than 20 different gold-standard, curriculum-based children's shows which air at various times throughout the day includes: Sesame Street®, Bob the Builder™, Barney & Friends™, Thomas & Friends™, Angelina Ballerina™, Caillou®, The Berenstain Bears™, Dragon Tales™, Make Way For Noddy™, Fifi and the Flowertots™, The Wiggles®, and more.
Sprout is the #1 Kids On Demand service, generating over half a billion orders to date. Sprout provides 60 hours of VOD programming each month, including 10-15 hours of Spanish-language programming (Plaza Sésamo®, Angelina Ballerina™, Barney & Friends™, Bob the Builder™, Olly El Submarino™).
Although the Sprout digital channel and the VOD service both meet the needs of preschoolers and their parents or caregivers, each platform provides a distinct benefit. VOD enables children and caregivers to choose the programming they want, when they want it, whereas the 24-hour digital channel provides a variety of material and short-form original programs uniquely designed to follow a preschooler's day from breakfast to bedtime.
Daytime programs feature stimulating and upbeat shows designed to get children moving and active, while evening programming includes soothing, relaxing shows to help them gently wind down after a busy day. Most of Sprout 's shows are pared to 5-10 minute segments to match the attention span of a preschooler, however, if families wish to view the longer versions of any program, they can opt for the conventional half-hour or hour programs on VOD.
Sprout's original programs include:
- Sprout's Wiggly Waffle – Airing every weekday morning from 6:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. ET
- The Sunny Side Up Show, hosted by Kevin, Kelly and Sean with their sidekick Chica, a witty, playful chicken puppet, is television's only live preschool morning program. The show, airing each weekday morning from 9 a.m. – noon ET, provides a warm, welcoming and fun environment where preschoolers and their families gather each day to interact live with the hosts, share birthdays, greetings, ideas, crafts and more. Special guests also stop by to visit on a regular basis, so on any given day, viewers could get a special treat from a Sesame Street® character like Big Bird, or Nina from Sprout's The Good Night Show.
- The Sprout Sharing Show, hosted by a group of fun and loveable hand puppets, promotes sharing, imagination and family interaction. Airing every weekday afternoon from 3 – 6 p.m. ET, the show is set inside a homemade cardboard puppet theater featuring the Sprout House Band – Patty, the positive pig emcee; Ricky, a colorful rabbit showman on keyboards; and Curtis E. Owl, a beatnik owl on stand-up bass. The band performs songs, introduces videos of preschoolers showing off their talents and ‘Look what I can do!’ moments, and shares viewer-submitted artwork that has been transformed into animated shorts by the Little Director company using a unique technology that allows children's drawings on paper to become animated stories.
- The Let's Go Show, hosted by Miles and his puppy friend Banjo, was designed to encourage preschoolers to ask questions, be curious about the world around them and participate in a daily musical adventure. Miles and Banjo embark each weekend morning from 6-7:30 a.m. ET (and again from 9-10:30a.m. ET) on a musical journey. Miles loves to sing, discover new things and connect with viewers to help them learn through humor, music and interactive play. Always ready for adventure, Banjo represents the wonder, energy and curiosity of a preschooler.
- The Good Night Show, hosted by "Good Night Guide" Nina, was created as a tool to help parents wind down their children after a busy day (airs each night from 6-9 p.m. ET and repeats from 9-midnight for families in different time zones). Nina plays games, sings songs, makes crafts, reads stories and teaches words in Spanish and sign language along with her Sprout friends: Star, the lovable and lively star-shaped puppet; Lucy, an enchanting puppet firefly; and Hush the goldfish.
- The animated Sprout Diner encourages preschool children to eat healthy foods and inspires parents and caregivers with healthy eating ideas.
- The Many Adventures of Mr. Mailman introduces preschoolers to the concept of travel, new places and geography in an entertaining way that is also developmentally appropriate.
Sprout provides a limited amount of parent-directed advertising that is confined to the top and bottom of programs on both the digital channel and VOD. Key advertisers include: Huggies, Pull-Ups, Honda, Geico, Mott's for Tots, SeaWorld, Fisher-Price and Playskool. Sprout airs approximately three minutes of advertising per hour, which is considerably lower than the FCC's designated limits, creating a clutter-free setting for advertisers and a content-rich environment for viewers.
PBS KIDS Sprout. All Preschool. All the Time.™