Universal Kids
The channel launched on September 26, 2005, as Universal Sprout, a preschool-oriented channel jointly operated by Universal Studios, Comcast, Sesame Workshop, and HIT Entertainment, as an offshoot of the Universal brand. After the acquisition of NBC Universal by Comcast in 2011, the company began to buy out the remaining owners' shares in the network. NBCUniversal became the sole owner of the network in 2013, after which it was renamed Sprout. Under NBCUniversal ownership, the channel increased its investments into original programming.