Turn them into fans when they're young, and you'll have a fan for life.
That seems to be the line of thinking employed by Nickelodeon and a number of professional sports leagues — Major League Soccer included — in creating NickSports, a child-focused, sports programming block set to debut Wednesday at 9 pm ET.
The two-hour weekly block of programs, which are set to air on Nicktoons, will feature a mix of original and acquired long- and short-form content from professional sports leagues MLS, NFL and NASCAR.
At the center of MLS programming to feature on NickSports will be the hilarious Ferris Bueller's Day Off parody featuring, among many other soccer stars, reigning MLS MVP Mike Magee.
Other MLS Insider productions will also introduce many of today's youth to some of the biggest stars and best stories of MLS.
"More than 70 percent of kids ages 7-14 in the U.S. play two-to-three organized sports a year, so the interest and enthusiasm is already there, " said Keith Dawkins, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Nicktoons, TeenNick and Nick Jr. "Our NickSports block will bring kids and families into the huddle by giving them an all-access pass to their favorite athletes, teams and leagues."
NickSports won't be the first brush with Nickeloden for at least one MLS star. D.C. United defender Bobby Boswell was a contestant on the show GUTS when he was 11 years old.
