NFL STARS LARRY FITZGERALD AND EARL THOMAS III GO HEAD TO HEAD AND FACE BEING DUNKED LIVE AT NICKELODEON'S INAUGURAL "KIDS' CHOICE SPORTS 2014"

The Star Athletes to Compete in "Verizon Power Dunk" Challenge at Awards Show Hosted by Michael Strahan Thursday, July 17, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon

NEW YORK - July15, 2014 - Nickelodeon today announced that two of the NFL's most dynamic players--Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Seattle Seahawks defensive back Earl Thomas III--will test their mettle in the inaugural Kids' Choice Sports 2014 "Verizon Power Dunk" competition. Fitzgerald and Thomas will face off to see who can first hit a bulls-eye target that dunks the other into a tank filled to the brim with a surprise substance. Verizon and Nickelodeon will be giving fans the chance to choose which gooey mess the athletes will get dunked in via a live vote on Nick.com/powerdunk. Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Sports Awards, hosted and executive produced by Michael Strahan, airs live from UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on Thursday, July 17, at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT).

Larry Fitzgerald is an eight-time Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals. In 2013, he became the youngest player in NFL history to reach 11,000 career receiving yards. Earl Thomas III is a three-time Pro Bowl free safety for the Super Bowl XLVIII winning Seattle Seahawks and is a member of the teams renowned "Legion of Boom".

Kids' Choice Sports allows kids to cast votes for their favorite athletes, teams and sports moments from the year. Among the many superstar athletes on the first-ever ballot are Carmelo Anthony, Tom Brady, Gabby Douglas, Kevin Durant, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Gracie Gold, LeBron James, Derek Jeter, Marshawn Lynch, Peyton Manning, Candace Parker, Danica Patrick, Chris Paul, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lindsey Vonn, Dwyane Wade, Abby Wambach, Tiger Woods and many more.

Recently, multi-Grammy Award-winning artist Pharrell Williams was added to the musical lineup for the Kids' Choice Sports Awards. Also appearing in the show will be award-winning country music sensation, Florida Georgia Line, performing a medley of their hit songs.

Kids' Choice Sports 2014 will feature a powerhouse line-up of athletes and celebrities. The list of presenters include: Super Bowl XLVIII champion Marshawn Lynch (Seattle Seahawks), NBA MVP superstar Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder), Will Arnett and Megan Fox (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Nick Cannon (America's Got Talent), Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers), Victor Cruz (New York Giants), Metta World Peace (New York Knicks), George Lopez (Lopez Tonight), pro skateboarder Tony Hawk, Olympic snowboarder Kelly Clark, Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney, Dez Bryant (Dallas Cowboys) and Rico Rodriguez (Modern Family).

Nick.com/sports is the official online destination for Kids' Choice Sports, where kids can watch hilarious short-form sports videos featuring their favorite Nick shows, access photo galleries of athletic all-stars and play brand new Kids' Choice Sports games. Also, on the day of the big event, kids can watch a live video stream straight from the Orange Carpet and see pictures of all the athletes in action, with photo coverage across all of Nickelodeon's digital platforms.

Presenting sponsors of Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Sports 2014 are Verizon and SUBWAY(R) restaurants. Associate sponsors are Air Hogs and Mattel's BOOMco.

Legendary Super Bowl Champion and Fox NFL Sunday analyst Michael Strahan is the co-host of the top-rated morning talk show LIVE with Kelly and Michael. He is also a special co-host for Good Morning America. Prior to joining the ranks of the top sports broadcasters in the country, Strahan helped lead the New York Giants to their third Super Bowl championship in 2007 with a dramatic win over the New England Patriots. A seven-time Pro-Bowler and one of only four players ever to lead the NFL in sacks for two seasons during his 15-year NFL career, Strahan was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2001 when he broke the 18-year-old NFL single season sack record with 22.5 sacks, a record that still stands today. This August, he will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Ian Stewart and Hamish Hamilton of Done + Dusted (London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony, 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, iHeartRadio Music Awards 2014) will serve as executive producers of Kids' Choice Sports 2014, with Hamilton also serving as director of the show. Constance Schwartz of SMAC Entertainment is also an executive producer.

As president of Done + Dusted, Ian Stewart devises stages and films some of the biggest events across the planet. The prolific production company has garnered awards from the Grammys to a Peabody, Emmys and BAFTAs, Rose d'Ors and countless others. Recent highlights include: NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly 2012-2013, NBC's Hurricane Sandy Coming Together benefit, CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute 2012 and Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2013.

Hamish Hamilton's credits as director include the 2014 Oscars, Super Bowl Halftime Show 2014, all four ceremonies for the London 2012 Olympic Games, 2013 MTV Video Music Awards and The Rolling Stones at Glastonbury. This year he received two BAFTAs and an Emmy nomination. Hamilton began his directing career in Scotland working for the BBC and has since travelled far and wide shooting documentaries, concert films and awards shows on every continent.

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 35th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 19 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).