The network launched on September 26, 2005, as PBS Kids Sprout, a preschool-oriented offshoot of PBS Kids. It replaced PBS's original 24-hour PBS Kids Channel, which operated between 1999 and 2005. NBCUniversal became the sole owner in 2013, after which the network was renamed Sprout. In 2017, the network relaunched as Universal Kids, adding an evening and prime time lineup targeting a wider youth audience.