SpongeBob SquarePants is an American multimedia franchise created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg, owned by Nickelodeon, a division of Paramount Global. The franchise began with the eponymous animated television series which premiered May 1, 1999 and has run for sixteen seasons, making it the longest-running children’s animated series in American history as of 2025. SpongeBob SquarePants is Nickelodeon’s most profitable property and one of the highest-grossing media franchises ever, generating over $16 billion in merchandising revenue by 2024. The franchise spans theatrical films, streaming films, spin-off series, video games, a Broadway musical, theme park attractions, and merchandise viewed in 170 countries across 24 languages.

The Creation of SpongeBob

Stephen Hillenburg studied marine biology and minored in art before working as a marine science educator at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point, California. While there he created an educational comic book called The Intertidal Zone to teach students about tidal pool life, featuring a character named Bob the Sponge. Hillenburg enrolled in the California Institute of the Arts experimental animation program in 1989 and developed his marine science knowledge into animation concepts. After working as a director on Rocko’s Modern Life for Nickelodeon, he developed SpongeBob SquarePants from the earlier comic concept. Nickelodeon initially rejected the pitch before reversing course. The show premiered as a preview following the Kids’ Choice Awards on May 1, 1999 and launched its first full season that July.

The Characters

SpongeBob SquarePants, voiced by Tom Kenny, is an optimistic and enthusiastic sea sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom. He works as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab restaurant owned by the greedy Eugene Krabs, voiced by Clancy Brown. His best friend is Patrick Star, a dim but lovable starfish voiced by Bill Fagerbakke. His neighbor Squidward Tentacles, voiced by Rodger Bumpass, is a grumpy and pretentious octopus who considers himself an artist. Sandy Cheeks is a Texas scientist squirrel who lives in an air dome. Plankton, voiced by Doug Lawrence who also wrote Plankton: The Movie in 2025, runs the rival Chum Bucket restaurant and continuously fails to steal the Krabby Patty formula. These characters and their dynamic have driven the show for over twenty-five years.

SpongeBob on Television

The main SpongeBob SquarePants series has run for sixteen seasons and over 330 half-hour episodes. Hillenburg stepped down as showrunner after the first film in 2004, returned to contribute to Sponge Out of Water in 2015, and worked on the series until his death from ALS in November 2018. Two spin-off series are in production: Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, which ran from 2021 to 2024, and The Patrick Star Show, which launched in 2021 and continues. The series has won seven Annie Awards and six Emmy Awards among numerous other honors.

SpongeBob in Film

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)

The first theatrical SpongeBob film grossed $141 million worldwide. Hillenburg originally intended it as the series finale and stepped down as showrunner after its completion. The decision to continue the series beyond it remains a point of contention among fans who feel the earlier seasons represent the show’s peak quality.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015)

The sequel used live-action sequences alongside animation and grossed $325 million worldwide. Hillenburg contributed to the story.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020)

The third film was released digitally on Paramount Plus in 2021 due to the pandemic. It introduced Kamp Koral, which became the first spin-off series.

Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie (2024) and Plankton: The Movie (2025)

Netflix produced two character-focused spin-off films, the first centering on Sandy Cheeks and the second on Plankton and Karen. Both films were leaked onto social media before their official releases, generating significant online discussion.

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (2025)

The fourth mainline theatrical film released December 19, 2025 and is the most recent entry in the franchise’s film catalog.

SpongeBob in Video Games

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom in 2003 is considered the best SpongeBob game and one of the better licensed games of the PlayStation 2 era. It was remade as Battle for Bikini Bottom: Rehydrated in 2020 by Purple Lamp Studios and THQ Nordic, including cut content from the original. By 2007 the SpongeBob video game series had shipped over 20 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises at the time. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake was released in 2023. SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide released in November 2025 and became the highest-rated SpongeBob game on Metacritic. The video game license is currently held by THQ Nordic.

SpongeBob on Broadway

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical opened December 4, 2017 at the Palace Theatre in New York City and ran for 327 performances before closing December 16, 2018. The production featured original songs from artists including David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, They Might Be Giants, and Panic at the Disco. It received twelve Tony Award nominations and won one for scenic design. The Broadway run was one of the more unusual and ambitious theatrical productions of recent years, translating a cartoon world to live performance through creative staging.