Is ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ Canceled? Viral Hoax Claims Series Ends March 1

SpongeBob is not leaving Bikini Bottom yet. Though social media posts claiming that the Nickelodeon series is canceled have been gone viral, the Nickelodeon series is actually doing quite well.

There is a fake picture of a tweet that is being shared. The tweet, which is made to look like it is from the verified “SpongeBob SquarePants” account, claims that the show will end March 1.

“Unfortunately, out show will be coming to a final end as of March 1st, 2018. It’s been a long ride, and we are very grateful for all the fans worldwide that have shown support throughout the years, none of this would have been possible without you,” the post reads.

Despite the tweet not actually appearing on the Twitter account, people have been sharing the photo plenty. One Facebook post with the picture has been shared over 264,000 times in the last day.

The only official announcements from Nickelodeon regarding our favorite talking sponge have been positive. On Monday, the series was once again nominated for a Kids Choice Award for favorite cartoon. On Sunday, the official Nickelodeon account also announced that new episodes of Season 11 would return March 1.

The tweet reminds readers that “SpongeBob Squarepants” has been renewed through Season 12 and uses the #spongebobforever hashtag. The network announced last year that Season 12 will debut in 2019, so it’s safe to say that SpongeBob, Patrick and all their friends will be around for a while.

“SpongeBob SquarePants” isn’t likely to get canceled in the near future. The children’s program, which started in 1999, airs in 208 countries and territories and is dubbed in over 55 different languages. It’s the most widely distributed property in Viacom International Media Networks history, and it has successful movies too.

In 2004, “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie” made $140 million worldwide. In 2015, “Sponge Out of Water” earned $315 million worldwide, ensuring that fans wouldn’t have to wait another decade to see Bikini Bottom on the big screen. Paramount Pictures plans to release a third movie in the franchise on July 31, 2020.

In addition, the Nickelodeon cartoon is currently taking on Broadway. “SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical” is being performed at the Palace Theatre.