Sprout Logo PNG
The Sprout Logo is a sign of kind children’s stories that comfort and entertain the little ones. The canal became a place where children immersed themselves in the world of their favorite characters and had fun adventures, and parents could relax during their leisure time. Exciting programs have become a part of family vacations, filling the days with joy and bright moments.
Sprout: Brand overview
The channel was launched on September 26, 2005, under the name PBS Kids Sprout. It was created through a partnership between PBS, Comcast, Sesame Workshop, and HIT Entertainment to offer preschoolers engaging, 24-hour educational content. From the beginning, it featured beloved shows like Thomas & Friends and Bob the Builder, capturing the imaginations of young viewers. Interactive programming encourages kids to participate actively in learning. Ownership evolved when Comcast gained more influence over programming, eventually leading to NBCUniversal fully acquiring HIT Entertainment’s stake. Original shows like The Sunny Side Up Show became especially popular due to their live, interactive style. A significant shift occurred when PBS exited the partnership, prompting the channel to rebrand and refresh its programming. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, it expanded online and introduced new content to millions of families across the nation. Later, shows like Nina’s World brought further praise from both kids and parents. Another major change arrived when NBCUniversal announced the transition from Sprout to Universal Kids, broadening the target audience beyond preschoolers while maintaining a dedicated morning block for younger viewers. Throughout these transformations, the channel consistently adapted, continuing the tradition of high-quality children’s programming pioneered by Sesame Workshop.
Meaning and History
What is Sprout?
This children’s television channel created entertainment and educational programs for kids and their parents. Cartoons, educational programs, and interactive shows were shown to help children learn, play, and create. The content was designed to accompany the child throughout the day, from informative morning programs to calm evening episodes before bedtime. The channel offered its original programs and popular children’s shows from around the world.
2005 – 2009
Sprout was created as a joint venture between companies such as PBS, Comcast, Sesame Workshop, and HIT Entertainment. Since 2005, the brand has focused on the youngest viewers, preschoolers. The logo concept emphasizes fun, lightheartedness, and complete childhood spontaneity.
The name is written in blue; the letters in “sprout” appear hand-drawn, with slightly uneven lines, rounded edges, and a childlike quality reminiscent of doodles. The wavy text creates a playful, fun, and carefree spirit; the letters seem to bounce after one another, never standing still.
Above the main inscription is a green symbol, a flower with five smooth petals. Inside the flower is the text “PBS KIDS.” The white letters “PBS” are bold, while “KIDS” is thinner and positioned slightly lower. The flower tilts slightly to one side, appearing free and playful, and conveying a childlike energy and activity.
The colors are well-chosen: blue creates a light mood, freshness, and a sense of freedom. The green flower symbolizes growth, development, and closeness to nature, aligning with the channel’s core mission of educating and developing young children through play and creativity.
Overall, Sprout’s logo is perceived as friendly, joyful, and genuinely childlike, clearly expressing the brand’s purpose to teach children through play, helping them grow and explore the world.
2009 – 2017
In 2009, Sprout changed its logo, removing the “PBS KIDS” inscription from the green flower. The word “sprout” and the green symbol remained in their places, but the flower became empty, without any text, just five petals in a pleasant green color. Everything appeared lighter and freer than the previous version.
The removal of “PBS KIDS” was due to Sprout having achieved sufficient recognition over the years, no longer needing the parent brand’s name in the logo. It became independent and recognizable while preserving the overall spirit, ease, and childlike spontaneity.
2017 – 2019
In 2017, the channel was relaunched under the new name Universal Kids and updated its logo. The new brand name sounds more solid and universal, addressing not just preschoolers but also older children, from school-age to teenagers. The programming approach also shifted: more diverse content appeared, including teen series, unscripted shows, and animation from DreamWorks.
The new logo reflects these changes through form and color. The inscription “UNIVERSAL KIDS” is centered, written in uppercase letters, and slightly curved to echo the top arc of the symbol. The font is large, bold, and sans-serif; the letters are close but do not merge, remaining visually distinct. An interesting detail is that the first and last letters are slightly smaller than the central letters, and the entire text is shaped in a gentle arc that curves around a spherical symbol.
The logo’s symbol consists of two curved lines above and below the name. The arcs don’t connect, remaining open at both ends, resembling an orbit or the contours of a globe. Visually, this conveys ideas of universality, global reach, and openness.
The logo’s color became deep and saturated in a teal shade suitable for both child and teenage audiences, maintaining solidity and moderation and emphasizing Universal Kids’ updated position as an entertainment channel with diverse offerings. Overall, the emblem appears more mature and universal than the previous one, yet still approachable and clear for younger viewers.
2019 – today
In 2019, Universal Kids refreshed its logo, giving it softer and more positive characteristics. Unlike the previous version, where letters were curved and arranged in one line, the name is now centered and presented in two lines. The upper line is “UNIVERSAL,” and the lower one is “KiDS,” written in slightly smaller font. The font became rounder and smoother; all letters remain uppercase but lack sharpness or angularity. The teal color continues to create a light, friendly mood.
The arcs around the text also changed: they are now yellow, thicker, and brighter. Instead of the restrained, globe-like orbit of the previous version, an open-ended circle resembling a smile or stylized planetary orbit appeared. Bright yellow arcs above and below add positivity and liveliness, making the symbolism cheerful, open, and joyful.
The combination of teal and yellow looks fresh and energetic, emphasizing the channel’s renewed direction, which targets children of all ages and offers a variety of programming, including animation, entertaining shows, teen series, and documentary projects. Overall, the logo has become more harmonious, welcoming, and fitting for a brand that focuses on youth-oriented entertainment content.