 SpongeBob SquarePants is one of the longest @-@ running series on Nickelodeon . It became the Nickelodeon series with the most episodes , during its eighth season , surpassing the 172 episodes of Rugrats with 178 . In its ninth season , a total of 26 episodes pushed the series over the 200th episode mark , reaching 204 produced episodes . In a statement , Brown Johnson , animation president for Nickelodeon , said , " SpongeBob 's success in reaching over 200 episodes is a testament to creator Stephen Hillenburg 's vision , comedic sensibility and his dynamic , lovable characters . The series now joins the club of contemporary classic Nicktoons that have hit this benchmark , so we 're incredibly proud " . 
