Slime, googly eyes, and virtual filters are coming to the NFL.

ViacomCBS is going all-in on a kid-focused broadcast of its Jan. 10 wild-card game on Nickelodeon.

Coverage begins with a Von Miller-hosted special highlighting SpongeBob’s best sports moments. A few other things viewers can look forward to:

• A preview of the series “Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years” at halftime
• Appearances from “All That” stars Gabrielle Nevaeh Green and Lex Lumpkin
• Over-the-top animated graphics in replay packages 
• A new website, NFLNickPlay.com, featuring football lessons and exclusive pre-game content

ViacomCBS reportedly paid around $70 million for the game. Amazon Prime Video will also stream the main CBS broadcast. 

As new NFL rights negotiations get underway, networks are vying for more viewers to potentially sweeten their status with the league. 

Disney has tested airing different versions of one football game across multiple networks, with an upcoming wild-card broadcast on Freeform tailored to young, female viewers.

Entertainment and sports conglomerate Endeavor has purchased a stake in BDA Sports Management, which is led by NBA agent Bill Duffy. 

What’s the deal? Duffy will become an advisor in Endeavor’s sports division. WME Sports provides full-service representation for clients like Cam Newton and Serena Williams. 

Duffy will remain chairman and chief executive of BDA Sports, which represents roughly 130 players across the NBA, WNBA and other leagues.

Karen Brodkin, co-head of WME Sports, says that teaming with Duffy is part of a broader strategy to work with “more clients earlier in their career trajectory.” 

Duffy’s current clients include:

• Luka Dončić
• Zach LaVine
• RJ Barrett
• Sabrina Ionescu
• Steve Nash

Lately, there’s been more crossover between Hollywood agencies and sports agents. 

Endeavor hired Bret Just, a noted agent for pro and college basketball coaches, last year. It also recruited NFL player agents Brian Ayrault and Ben Renzin from Creative Artists Agency to launch a football group at WME Sports.

NBA super-agent Rich Paul sold a significant stake in his Klutch Sports Group to United Talent Agency in 2019 to establish Klutch as UTA’s sports division.

Podcast company Blue Wire Media raised $5 million in a recently closed Series A round.

Investors in the round included Dot Capital, Bettor Capital, Side Door Ventures and Forty5 Ventures. Dot Capital led the round, as well as a $1.2 million seed round in February.

Sports Slate

• Blue Wire currently has a network of 140 podcasts hosted by journalists, athletes, brands and teams like the Baltimore Ravens
• Athlete-hosts include Baron Davis, Greg Olsen, Ian Happ and a show by Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird
• Soccer reporter Grant Wahl launched the company’s first long-form narrative podcast, “American Prodigy,” which chronicles the career of Freddy Adu

Blue Wire is leveraging its more than 20 million podcast downloads this year to capture a chunk of the podcast ad revenue market that is projected to reach $1 billion next year. 

The company also announced a partnership with Snap. Blue Wire will produce “The Come Up,” detailing obstacles professional athletes face at the onset of their careers. NBA players to be featured in the first season:

• Mo Bamba
• Fred Van Vleet
• Duncan Robinson
• Obi Toppin

The new investment will help Blue Wire create eight to 10 podcast series — which it will also try to option for film and TV.