Nickelodeon’s Broadway Bet Doesn’t Pay Off as Its SpongeBob SquarePants Musical Will Close

It had been the centerpiece of the network's upfront efforts this year

SpongeBob SquarePants has been minting money for Nickelodeon since the show debuted in 1999. But after 11 seasons, two movies and more than $13 billion in merchandising revenue, the animated residents of Bikini Bottom have finally discovered a segment of pop culture they couldn’t conquer: Broadway.

Nickelodeon announced that SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical will close on Sept. 16, less than one year after it opened on Broadway last December. It will have played 327 regular performances and 29 previews.

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