Thursday, February 27, 2014

Nickelodeon UK And Virgin Media Launch My Nick Jr. App In The UK

Nickelodeon UK has announced in the following Press Release that Nickelodeon UK, the number one commercial kids TV network in the UK, and the UK cable operator Virgin Media have teamed up to bring the "My Nick Jr. App" to the UK! The commercial-free personal programming service will be available to Virgin Media TiVo customers on TV packages L and XL from today, Thursday 27th February 2014, and will allow parents to programme a customised playlist for their preschool child.


"My Nick Jr. is a unique service in the UK delivering Nick Jr. programming to families in a format they can control," said Tina McCann, Managing Director, Nickelodeon UK & Ireland. "The wealth of Nick Jr. programming available on the app ensures that there will always be something to delight and enlighten viewers while My Nick Jr.'s interface offers parents an innovative way to guide their preschooler's viewing and to set the developmental themes that are important to them."



Dora the Explorer

"My Nick Jr." features 650 Nick Jr. UK episodes including episodes of beloved Nick Jr. UK shows such as "Dora the Explorer", "Bubble Guppies", "Tickety Toc" and "Dinosaur Train". Using the app, parents can create an individual "My Nick Jr." profile for their child. Within this profile, parents may select specific topics that they wish to make prominent in their child's "My Nick Jr." playlist as well as the duration for which they wish their child to watch Nick Jr. programming. Once a child has finished watching an episode they are asked to rate the show using the 'arrow up' or 'arrow down', via Virgin Media's TiVo remote. The Nick Jr. app learns the preferences of the child and chooses episodes to play accordingly. Through the app, parents may elect to be sent emails summarising what their children have watched and which topics have been covered within the viewed episodes.


Scott Kewley, Director of digital entertainment, Virgin Media said, "We know our TiVo families are going to love the new "My Nick Jr." app and we're delighted to be the first TV platform to launch it in the UK. It's a fantastic addition to our app line-up providing a unique TV experience where children learn while having fun watching some of their favourite shows."



Dinosaur Train

Themes covered in episodes within the "My Nick Jr." library include problem solving, memory, reasoning, mathematics, respect, friendship, science & nature, creativity and foreign language. "My Nick Jr." initially launched in France on CanalSat in 2013 and will roll out in the US on Verizon Communications Inc.'s FiOS TV service in the coming months. The service will launch across more international territories later in the year.

Original Nickelodeon UK Press Release:

MY NICK JR. ARRIVES IN THE UK WITH VIRGIN MEDIA

Launch of personally-curated channel available in over two million Virgin Media TiVo® homes

London, UK – 27th February, 2014 – Nickelodeon UK and Virgin Media have teamed up to bring the My Nick Jr. App to the UK. The commercial-free personal programming service will be available to Virgin Media TiVo customers on TV packages L and XL from today and will allow parents to programme a customised playlist for their preschool child.

“My Nick Jr. is a unique service in the UK delivering Nick Jr. programming to families in a format they can control,” said Tina McCann, Managing Director, Nickelodeon UK & Ireland. “The wealth of Nick Jr. programming available on the app ensures that there will always be something to delight and enlighten viewers while My Nick Jr.’s interface offers parents an innovative way to guide their preschooler’s viewing and to set the developmental themes that are important to them.”

My Nick Jr. features 650 Nick Jr. episodes including episodes of beloved Nick Jr. titles such as Dora the Explorer, Bubble Guppies, Tickety Toc and Dinosaur Train. Using the app, parents can create an individual My Nick Jr. profile for their child. Within this profile, parents may select specific topics that they wish to make prominent in their child’s My Nick Jr. playlist as well as the duration for which they wish their child to watch Nick Jr. programming. Once a child has finished watching an episode they are asked to rate the show using the ‘arrow up’ or ‘arrow down,’ via Virgin Media’s TiVo remote. The Nick Jr. app learns the preferences of the child and chooses episodes to play accordingly. Through the app, parents may elect to be sent emails summarising what their children have watched and which topics have been covered within the viewed episodes.

Scott Kewley, Director of digital entertainment, Virgin Media said, “We know our TiVo families are going to love the new My Nick Jr. app and we’re delighted to be the first TV platform to launch it in the UK. It’s a fantastic addition to our app line-up providing a unique TV experience where children learn while having fun watching some of their favourite shows.”

Themes covered in episodes within the My Nick Jr. library include problem solving, memory, reasoning, mathematics, respect, friendship, science & nature, creativity and foreign language. My Nick Jr. initially launched in France on CanalSat in 2013 and will roll out in the US on Verizon Communications Inc.'s FiOS TV service in the coming months. The service will launch across more international territories later in the year.

Where every day's an adventure, Nick Jr. is a top-performing commercial pre-school entertainment brand in cable and satellite homes. Launched in 1999 as the world's first channel dedicated to pre-school children, Nick Jr.’s programming includes beloved shows Dora the Explorer, Peppa Pig, Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom and Bubble Guppies. Online, clips, games, exclusive activities and downloads are all available at nickjr.co.uk Viewers also have the opportunity to catch up with the schedule through Nick Jr. +1. Nick Jr. is available on Sky 615, Virgin 715, through BT Vision and Talk Talk channel 318.

The Nickelodeon Network is a top-performing commercial kids TV network in the UK and Ireland with Nickelodeon channels available in over 14 million cable and satellite homes. Having launched in 1993 Nickelodeon UK comprises seven dedicated entertainment channels for kids aged 4-15 and their families, and is a joint venture between Viacom International Media Networks and BSkyB.

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