Disclosure: Hotdog.com is supported by readers. When you click on our links and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Learn more
I love Nick Jr, and I’m not alone – many adults enjoy it just as much as children do. Best of all, I’ve found that keeping my family entertained with this channel doesn’t require committing to a lengthy cable contract.
Seeing “not available in your area” or a blackout? Connect to another US location to unlock regional sports, news, and shows you already pay for. A streaming subscription is still required.
VPNs are also handy when you travel abroad and want to watch your usual US streaming content. New to VPNs? Learn how they work….
In a hurry? All of the major live TV streaming services offer Nick Jr. Here are our top choices depending on your other needs:
All three services carry NICK JR. Pick based on your budget:
Best Overall
185+ channels including NICK JR, all major sports networks, and local channels. 7-day free trial – watch tonight, cancel anytime. Best if you want one service that “just works”, without piecing together bundles.
From $79.99/mo after free trial
Lowest Price
Carries NICK JR from $45.99/mo – roughly half the price of Fubo. Add channel packs if you want more. The lowest-cost route for NICK JR, if you are happy with a smaller bundle.
Most Channels
90+ channels including NICK JR – the closest thing to full cable without a contract. 5-day free trial, then from $59.99/mo.
Away from home? If your content is blocked, a VPN helps you keep streaming. Our top pick is ExpressVPN.
If you’re a parent of small children and you let them watch TV at all, the shows typically fall into two categories:
Nick Jr is firmly in the second category. So cue up the Paw Patrol theme and get ready to hop in the UmiCar, because we’re flipping the channel to Nick Jr.
Before Nickelodeon was Nickelodeon, it was Pinwheel — “the world’s first TV channel geared strictly to preschoolers.” It was launched 1977 in Columbus, OH. And it featured the preschool show of the same name.
When Pinwheel was expanded into the national channel Nickelodeon in 1979, Pinwheel (the show) was relegated to weekday mornings. As such, it would become the foundation for Nick’s new weekday-morning preschool block when it launched Nick Junior (later Jr) in 1988.
Pinwheel was followed by Eureeka’s Castle, the first show made for Nick Jr. In 2009, Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS) reorganized the Nick channels, rebranding Noggin into Nick Jr.
Nick Jr is aimed at kids three to five years old, engaging them with questions and games. Shows typically feature relatable situations and original songs. They combine fun and play with learning both ABCs, numbers, shapes, colors, and so forth and more “life skills” concepts like problem-solving, managing emotions, and social skills. Protagonists are more likely to face conflict in overcoming daily challenges or mastering skills than they are by defeating a traditional enemy.
Nick Jr is part of Nickelodeon’s family of channels, which, besides the original Nickelodeon, includes NickMusic, NickToons, and TeenNick. Other channels aimed at the preschool crowd include arch-rival Disney Junior, PBS Kids, and more obscure channels such as ducktv, Hopster, Kids Street (formerly Kids Central), PlayKids, and everyone’s favorite pint-size toy-reviewer on Ryan & Friends.
Nick Jr is the only breakout spin-off channel from Nick. For some reason, the others don’t enjoy the same wide carriage. But that’s good news for you as a preschooler parent. It means Nick Jr is almost always with its big sister Nick in the base tier of services. And every streaming service carries it. This means you don’t need cable anymore to watch Nick Jr. Let’s look at some details.
Fubo’s mainly known as a sports-focused service, but they have just as many (if not more) non-sports channels as the other services. That Pro package ($79.99/month) includes Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, and Disney Junior.
You’ll have to spring for the Extra add-on ($7.99/mo) or the Elite tier if you want NickMusic, NickToons, and TeenNick.
All plans come with unlimited cloud DVR and streaming on up to 10 devices at once. (FuboTV review)
Sling TV is cool because they take a modular view of channel bundling. You pick a small base plan, and if you want more, you add what you want. In the case of Nick Jr, you can get either Sling Orange or Sling Blue — they both provide it for $45.99/month.
If that’s not enough, you can add the Kids Extra, which includes ducktv, NickToons, TeenNick, and more for $6/mo additional. Or, if you prefer, you can add either or both of Sling’s premium channels with a preschool focus: Hopster and PlayKids ($5/mo each).
The one downside: Sling TV does not offer Nickelodeon at all. (Sling TV review)
DIRECTV goes big on everything: lots of channels, unlimited DVR as long as you sign-up online, and unlimited devices at a time. Unfortunately for your wallet, it also goes big on price: services start at $59.99/month.
More bad news for parents of little Blues Clues & You! fans: that starting price will only get you Nickelodeon, Disney Junior, TeenNick, and PBS Kids. Nick Jr and NickToons are one tier up in the Choice package, which is $64.99/month.
If it’s any consolation, you also get a bunch of regional sports channels only DIRECTV has, so you can unwind with a home team ballgame after Ryder and his team of pups have played themselves out. (DIRECTV review)
Just like Fubo, with Hulu + Live TV, you get Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, and Disney Junior in the base package for $82.99/month. Also like Fubo, NickToons and TeenNick (though not NickMusic) are in an add-on that’s $7.99 additional per month.
Start Hulu + Live TV Free Trial ↗︎
What’s not like Fubo? You also get Disney+ and ESPN+, together with all of Hulu’s on-demand catalog of shows and movies. The plan comes with unlimited cloud DVR (9 months of storage) and simultaneous streaming on two devices. (Hulu + Live TV review)
Philo is where it’s at for saving money. With over 65 channels for $28.00/month, you cannot beat it on value. And because they don’t have tiers, Nick Jr, Nickelodeon, NickToons, and TeenNick are all included in that.
Bonus: you can stream Ryan & Friends, a free channel featuring YouTube superstar Ryan. What’s the catch? Well, you and your kids will have to go without Disney, NBCUniversal, or Warner Media channels. There’s also little to no live sports, news, or local programming.
Getting an antenna can mitigate that somewhat, but for some, it’s a dealbreaker. Still a heck of a deal. (Philo review)
The services above support most streaming devices in use today:
Other than DIRECTV, they also support Android TV devices. Other than Philo, they support Samsung smart TVs. Fubo, Sling, and Hulu support Xbox gaming systems. Hulu supports PlayStation and Nintendo Switch gaming units.
So the streaming reviews for complete lists.
When it comes to streaming services for kids, there’s no shortage of free/low-cost options. Nick Jr is one, of course, but not the only one:
If you’re after Nick Jr. without cable, Sling TV is the way to go – it’s got the best mix of everything. I checked out all the usual suspects (Fubo, Hulu, the whole lot), and Sling just hits the sweet spot. Picture quality is top-notch, never any buffering, and their channel package is spot-on, especially if you’re on a budget. DVR works a treat, the app’s a breeze to use on any device, and you even get some extra kids’ channels thrown in. Sure, you might miss out on a couple of shows compared to some of the pricier options, but honestly, for the value, it’s a no-brainer. Sling TV gives you exactly what you need – Nick Jr. and a bunch of other great channels – without breaking the bank.
This page was revised 9 times between April 2022 and March 2023.
Added buttons for streaming services. Updated some sub-sections. Image changes. Added some links.
Image changes. Pricing updates. Linking.
Added VPN info. Image changes. Reworded some things.
Added buttons for streaming services. Pricing updates. Various content updates.
Added buttons for streaming services. Added links to streaming services. Updated some sub-sections. Image changes. Pricing updates. Deleted unneeded sub-section.
Added sub-section. Changed a few bits of content.
Added sub-section. Image changes. Added links. Various content updates.
More links. Pricing updates. Various changes.
Added links to streaming services. Changed some content in main section. Put related links. Updated some sub-sections.