Noggin Is Making A Comeback, And Indie Animators Stand To Benefit

Just over a year after Paramount Global pulled the plug on Noggin, the beloved kids’ platform is staging an unexpected return, this time as an independent venture with a much wider vision.

Noggin, once a preschool-focused streaming app with millions of subscribers, was shuttered in July 2024 after Paramount laid off the brand’s staff and folded much of its content into Paramount+. The closure felt like the end of an era, but according to a new report by Kidscreen, Noggin’s former leader, Kristen Kane, secured the rights to the brand and is now relaunching it as something entirely new: a hybrid gaming, streaming, and real-world experience designed for today’s kids.

The Noggin website is back now, with a promising message on its homepage:

Kids’ curiosity calls…

And Noggin is answering!

We’re coming back to help kids discover what they love. To give them ways to explore their interests. To transform that spark from the screen into a real life pursuit.

The new Noggin will be rolling out in the months ahead. Join our mailing list and follow us on social for the latest.

We’re so happy to have you on this adventure with us!

The Noggin Team

From Preschool Roots to Gen Alpha Ambitions

Launched in 1999 as a Nickelodeon–Sesame Workshop joint venture, Noggin has reinvented itself multiple times, first as a TV channel, later as an SVOD, and most recently as a learning platform packed with preschool-friendly shows and interactive games. When Paramount pulled support last year, it seemed like yet another quiet end for the brand.

But Kane saw untapped potential. Rather than doubling down on preschoolers, the revived Noggin will now target kids aged five to 12—today’s Gen Alpha cohort. The goal, Kane says, is to meet kids at the age where they’re starting to form deeper interests and passions.

A Three-Phase Plan for Growth

Noggin’s relaunch isn’t just a streaming comeback. Kane and her team have outlined a three-phase strategy:

1. A Virtual City of Hobbies Noggin will debut with a virtual city, an updated version of “Nogginville,” where kids can explore different interests through mini-games. Unlike the simple, click-and-learn activities of the old Noggin, these games will mimic real-world skills. For example, in a cooking game, kids won’t just press a button and watch a cake appear; they’ll follow step-by-step recipes, encouraging them to try the hobby offline.
2. A New Streaming Hub
   This is the big one for independent content creators. Once the virtual world gains traction, Noggin will expand into streaming again, but with a twist. Instead of relying on big Paramount franchises like PAW Patrol or Dora the Explorer, which stayed on Paramount+ after Noggin’s shutdown, the new Noggin will license shows from digital-first creators who specialize in niche interests. The idea is to host videos related directly to the hobbies kids are discovering in-game, creating a cycle of play and inspiration.
3. Real-World Noggin Clubs
   In the long term, Noggin plans to leap from digital to physical spaces. The company suggested Noggin-branded baking clubs, garages for DIY projects, or music studios where kids can gather, practice skills, and connect with peers in supervised environments.

Free to Start, Built to Grow

At launch, Noggin’s app will be free. Monetization will come later through subscriptions, ads, in-app purchases, and eventually memberships for in-person clubs. According to Kane, the gradual rollout is intentional, and the priority is to rebuild trust with families who once relied on Noggin for safe, educational entertainment.

Why It Matters

Noggin’s comeback is unusual in today’s media landscape, where consolidation and cost-cutting often outweigh innovation. Paramount, amid a brand-defining financial crisis that eventually led to the company being sold to Sydance’s David Ellison, saw Noggin as expendable when it shuttered the service during company-wide layoffs in early 2024. But by handing over the brand to Kane, the company may have inadvertently given Noggin its best chance yet at long-term survival.

If successful, Noggin could prove a vital platform in a kids’ media ecosystem, where well-intentioned alternatives like PBS have had their funding cut. Noggin could combine the entertainment-first appeal of Roblox and YouTube with the learning-oriented mission that has defined Noggin since its Sesame Workshop days, giving kids an alternative that genuinely aims to provide a service, rather than just profit off of young people.

For parents who mourned the app’s shutdown, the revival offers a second chance. And for a new generation of kids, Noggin could prove a haven in an increasingly commercialized entertainment space that has moved away from educational and values-driven production.