 Nickelodeon held a preview for the series in the United States on May 1 , 1999 , following the television airing of the 1999 Kids ' Choice Awards . The series officially premiered on July 17 , 1999 . It has received worldwide critical acclaim since its premiere and gained enormous popularity by its second season . A feature film , The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie , was released in theaters on November 19 , 2004 , and a sequel was released on February 6 , 2015 . On July 21 , 2012 , the series was renewed and aired its ninth season , beginning with the episode " Extreme Spots " . 
