But the company says it's still committed to family entertainment through DreamWorks Animation and its programming on Peacock.

Comcast subsidiary NBCUniversal has confirmed to Kidscreen that it will pull the plug on its Universal Kids channel on March 6.

Formerly called Sprout, the net launched in 2005 as a preschool-focused joint-venture between PBS KIDS, Comcast and Sesame Workshop. Over the years, it has greenlit original programming such as Top Chef Junior (Magical Elves) and Where's Waldo? (DreamWorks Animation), as well as acquiring series like Polly Pocket (WildBrain/Mattel) and Driving Me Crazy (marblemedia/Proper Television) from third-party suppliers.

But in 2019, NBCUniversal shifted the channel's programming strategy away from original content to focus purely on acquisitions from sister company DreamWorks Animation.

According to television database USTVDB, Universal Kids' average audience dipped from 28,000 in March 2022 to 15,000 in January 2025. And it was ranked 139th on Variety's list of most-watched US TV channels for 2024, with 20,000 viewers (down 5% from the previous year).

Despite the channel shutting down, NBCUniversal says it remains committed to family entertainment, through Illumination and DreamWorks Animation, as well as its kids-focused programming streaming on Peacock.

In related news, Christian-focused Trinity Broadcasting Network took its Smile children's channel off the air yesterday, migrating all of its content to TBN-owned streamer Yippie TV.