Nickelodeon "SpongeBob SquarePants" celebrates 20 years with its new birthday special airing tonight on Nickelodeon.
Those in the US can watch a the SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout special live without cable via a free trial of FuboTV right here. More information about Fubo and other live stream options can be found below
On Friday, July 12, Nickelodeon will air its SpongeBob SquarePants 20th anniversary special called SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout, with its primary voice cast playing live-action versions of their animated characters. The party, which has David Hasselhoff on the guest list, starts at 7 p.m. ET/PT
If you don’t have cable or don’t have Nickelodeon, you can watch a live stream of SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV or other streaming device via one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming subscription services:
Nickelodeon is included in Philo’s main 58-channel bundle, which is the cheapest among all streaming services if you plan on keeping it long-term.
You can start a free 7-day trial of Philo TV right here, and you can then watch the SpongeBob birthday special live on your computer via the Philo website, or on your phone (iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV or or other supported device via the Philo app.
If you can’t watch live, Philo allows you to DVR programs and watch them up to 30 days later. Additionally, you can also watch the special on Nick’s app and digital platforms. You’ll need to log-in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can sign up for Philo and use those credentials to sign in and watch.
Nickelodeon is one of 95-plus live TV channels included in the main FuboTV bundle.
You can start a free 7-day trial of FuboTV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the SpongeBob birthday special on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast or other supported device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of Cloud DVR (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours), allowing you to record any future airings if you missed it the first time around.
DirecTV Now offers several different channel packages, all of which include Nickelodeon. You can start a free trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the SpongeBob birthday special on your computer via the DirecTV Now website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the DirecTV Now app.
If you can’t watch live, DirecTV Now includes cloud DVR.
‘SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout’ Preview
Tonight’s SpongeBob special celebrates 20 years of SpongeBob SquarePants mixing live-action with animation sequences. Tom Kenny (SpongeBob), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick Star), Rodger Bumpass (Squidward), Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs), Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy Cheeks) and Mr. Lawrence (Plankton) will all play live-action versions of their animated characters alongside guest stars like David Hasselhoff, Kel Mitchell (All That), Jack Griffo (The Thundermans), and Daniella Perkins (Knight Squad). Hasselhoff, best known for playing Mitch Buchannon on Baywatch, also played himself in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.
In the special, the gang journeys to the surface world where they meet familiar faces during the lunchtime rush at The Trusty Slab restaurant. Unbeknownst to SpongeBob, the residents of Bikini Bottom are planning a surprise birthday party for him.
“I experienced the world of SpongeBob first-hand when I appeared in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, which was an amazing experience,” said Hasselhoff. “After making that cameo, kids around the world recognized me from the movie. How awesome to now come back to be part of the 20th anniversary special. I got to interact with Tom Kenny and SpongeBob. It also was a heartwarming tribute to Steve Hillenburg. Happy 20th SpongeBob. Hooray!!”
The special is a tad bittersweet; the show’s creator, Hillenburg, passed away last year following complications from ALS. “Steve Hillenburg gave me the gift of a lifetime when he asked me to voice his porous alter ego, SpongeBob SquarePants,” said Kenny. “He changed my life and all of our lives. To reach the 20-year mark is a huge milestone and we wanted to celebrate by throwing a big party Bikini Bottom style. SpongeBob only comes up to the surface world on special occasions and this time one stop on his journey is The Trusty Slab restaurant. Stepping on the set and acting alongside my friends and fellow cast members was a true out of body experience. Fans are truly going to love it.”
The birthday episode will be directed by Jonas Morganstein, the owner and creative director of Jonas & Co, a Los Angeles based film and television advertising Production Company.
The series first debuted on Nickelodeon in 1999 and is still going strong today. The show’s twelfth season began last month and viewers can expect the 26-episode run to continue the adventures of SpongeBob and his Bikini Bottom friends Patrick, Sandy, Mr. Krabs, Plankton, and Squidward.