| The Cartoon Network, Inc. | |
| Trade Name: | Cartoon Network |
| Type: | Subsidiary |
| Founded: | [1] |
| Founder: | |
| Hq Location City: | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Hq Location Country: | U.S. |
| Area Served: | Worldwide |
| Industry: | Entertainment |
| Parent: | Warner Bros. Discovery Networks |
The Cartoon Network, Inc. is an American multinational entertainment company operating as a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Founded by Ted Turner and based out of Atlanta, Georgia, its main properties include its flagship property, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, as well as programming blocks Cartoonito, Adult Swim and Toonami. It is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery Networks.
See main article: History of Cartoon Network.
On March 25, 1986, Turner Broadcasting System acquired Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists. On October 18, Turner forcibly sold back MGM. However, Turner kept much of the film and television library made before May 1986 (including some of the UA library) and formed Turner Entertainment Co.[2] On October 8, 1988, its cable channel Turner Network Television was launched and gained an audience with its extensive film library.[3] In 1991, Turner also purchased the library of animation studio Hanna-Barbera.[4] [5] Ted Turner selected Betty Cohen (then-Senior Vice President of TNT) to devise a network to house these programs.[6] On February 18, 1992, Turner Broadcasting announced its plans to launch Cartoon Network as an outlet for an animation library.[7] On March 12, 1992, The Cartoon Network, Inc. was founded one month after Turner's plan was announced. On October 1, 1992, its namesake TV channel officially launched as the first 24-hour single-genre cable channel with animation as its main theme.
In 1994, Hanna-Barbera's new division Cartoon Network Studios was founded and started production on What a Cartoon!. This show debuted in 1995, offering original animated shorts. In 1996, Cartoon Network aired two preschool programs: Big Bag, a live-action/puppet television program with animated short series produced by Children's Television Workshop, and Small World, which featured animated series aimed at preschoolers imported from foreign countries. Turner Broadcasting System merged with Time Warner,[8] which consolidated/reverted ownership of all the Warner Bros. cartoons. The network could then continue more original productions.
From January 4, 1999, Cartoon Network aired Ed, Edd n Eddy until its finale on November 8, 2009, making it the longest running standalone original series in rank.
On October 22, 2016, AT&T disclosed an offer to acquire Time Warner for $108.7 billion, including assumed debt held by the latter company. The merger would bring Time Warner's various media properties, including The Cartoon Network, Inc., under the same corporate umbrella as AT&T's telecommunications holdings, including satellite provider DirecTV and IPTV/broadband provider AT&T U-verse.[9] [10] [11] [12] Time Warner shareholders approved the merger on February 15, 2017.[13] On November 20, 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against AT&T and Time Warner in an attempt to block the merger, citing antitrust concerns surrounding the transaction.[14] [15] [16] U.S. clearance of the proposed merger—which had already received approval from European, Mexican, Chilean and Brazilian regulatory authorities—was affirmed by court ruling on June 12, 2018, after District of Columbia U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Leon ruled in favor of AT&T, and dismissed antitrust claims asserted in the DOJ's lawsuit. The merger closed two days later on June 14, 2018, with Time Warner becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T, which renamed the unit WarnerMedia. The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington unanimously upheld the lower court's ruling in favor of AT&T on February 26, 2019.[17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]
On May 17, 2021, AT&T and Discovery, Inc. reached a definitive Reverse Morris Trust agreement, in which AT&T would spin out WarnerMedia into an independent company (unwinding the prior 2018 acquisition of the former Time Warner) that would concurrently acquire Discovery's assets, for $43 billion in cash, securities and stock plus WarnerMedia's retention of certain debt. Under the transaction, which was expected to be finalized by the second quarter of 2022, The Cartoon Network, Inc. and all other assets of WarnerMedia would be combined with the assets of Discovery, Inc. AT&T shareholders would own 71% of the company's stock and Discovery shareholders would own the remaining 29% share, with each shareholder group appointing representative board members; David Zaslav, President and CEO of Discovery, would head the new company, replacing WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar.[25] [26] [27] [28]
On June 1, 2021, it was announced that the merged company would be known as Warner Bros. Discovery; Zaslav explained that it would reflect "the combination of Warner Bros.' fabled hundred-year legacy of creative, authentic storytelling and taking bold risks to bring the most amazing stories to life, with Discovery’s global brand that has always stood brightly for integrity, innovation and inspiration."[29] The merger was officially completed on April 8, 2022, with The Cartoon Network, Inc. becoming a subsidiary of WBD.
| "unsortable" | Region(s) | Launch date | End date | Language(s) | Coverage and availability notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arab World | (as an independent concurrent feed; via free-to-air TV) | Arabic | From Dubai, United Arab Emirates | |||
| (a Hindi language channel feed; via subscription TV) | Hindi | |||||
| Asia Pacific | English, Indonesian, Thai, Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Tamil | From Singapore and Jakarta | ||||
| (Taiwan) | From Taipei City, Taiwan | |||||
| Australia and New Zealand | English | From Sydney, Australia | ||||
| Canada | (as Teletoon) | From Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Operated by Corus Entertainment. | ||||
| (as Cartoon Network) | ||||||
| Central and Eastern Europe | (as part of Cartoon Network Poland) | Romanian, Hungarian, Czech, and English | From Prague, Czech Republic[30] | |||
| (as an independent feed) | ||||||
| France | (as part of Cartoon Network Europe) | French and English | From Paris, France | |||
| (as an independent feed) | ||||||
| Germany | (as part of Cartoon Network Europe, in English) | German and English | From Munich, Germany | |||
| (as an independent feed) | ||||||
| India (South Asia) | English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada | From Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | ||||
| Israel | 2000 (as part of Cartoon Network Europe, in English) | English and Hebrew | Airs as a VOD streaming channel on Yes | |||
| (as a programming block on Arutz HaYeladim) | ||||||
| 2019 (as a VOD streaming channel on Yes) | ||||||
| Italy | (as part of Cartoon Network Europe) | Italian and English | From Milan, Italy | |||
| (as an independent feed) | ||||||
| data-sort-value="Japan" | Japan | Japanese and English | From Tokyo, Japan | |||
| Middle East and Africa | (as part of Cartoon Network Europe; via pay TV) | English, Arabic, and Greek | From London, England | |||
| (relaunched as an independent feed specific for the MENA region; via pay TV) | ||||||
| Latin America | Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and English (translated continuity on SAP) | From Buenos Aires and São Paulo (Brazilian feed) | ||||
| (as an autonomous Brazilian feed within the Latin American variant of the channel) | From Atlanta, Georgia, United States | |||||
| 1999 (as an autonomous Mexican feed within the Latin American variant of the channel) | Brazilian Portuguese and English (translated continuity on SAP) | |||||
| South Atlantic (Latin America) | (as part of the Latin American feed) | Latin American Spanish and English (translated continuity on SAP) | From Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Medellín, Santiago de Chile and São Paulo | |||
| 2002 (as an autonomous feed within the Latin American variant of the channel) | ||||||
| Pacific (Latin America) | (as part of the Latin American feed) | |||||
| (as an autonomous feed within the Latin American variant of the channel) | ||||||
| North Atlantic (Latin America) | (as part of the Latin American feed) | |||||
| (as an autonomous feed within the Latin American variant of the channel) | ||||||
| Netherlands | (as part of Cartoon Network Europe, in English) | Dutch and English | From Amsterdam, Netherlands | |||
| (as an independent feed) | ||||||
| (as part of Cartoon Network Europe, in Dutch and English) | ||||||
| (as an independent feed) | ||||||
| Nordic | (as part of Cartoon Network Europe) | Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and English | From London, England | |||
| (as an independent feed) | ||||||
| data-sort-value="Pakistan" | Pakistan | English and Urdu | Controlled by Cartoon Network India | |||
| Philippines | (as part of Cartoon Network Asia Pacific) | English | From Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila | |||
| (as an independent feed) | ||||||
| Poland | (as part of Cartoon Network Europe, in English) | Polish and English | From Munich, Germany | |||
| (as an independent feed) | ||||||
| Portugal | (as part of Cartoon Network Europe, in English) | European Portuguese and English | From London, England | |||
| (as an independent feed) | ||||||
| CIS | (Cartoon Network Europe) | Russian and English | From London, England | |||
| (Cartoon Network RSEE) | Russian, Bulgarian, and English | From Munich, Germany | ||||
| Southeastern Europe | Russian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, and English | |||||
| (launched in Croatian, Serbian and Slovene) | ||||||
| data-sort-value="South Korea" | South Korea | Korean and English | From Seoul, South Korea | |||
| Spain | (as part of Cartoon Network Europe) | (as a channel) | European Spanish and English | From London, England | ||
| (as an independent feed) | ||||||
| (as a weekend afternoon block on Boing) | ||||||
| data-sort-value="Turkey" | Turkey | Turkish and English | From Istanbul, Turkey | |||
| data-sort-value="United Kingdom, Ireland and Malta" | United Kingdom, Ireland and Malta | English | From London, England |
| Channel name | Launch date | End date | Coverage and availability notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia & New Zealand | 2005 (original) | 2007 (original) | Available as a block on Cartoon Network (Australia). |
| 2016 (relaunch) | 2019 (relaunch) | ||
| Canada | (as Showcase Action, later renamed Action) | (as a block on Cartoon Network (now Boomerang)) | Canadian channel (24/7) operated by Corus Entertainment; successor to Teletoon at Night. |
| (as a block on Cartoon Network (now Boomerang)) | |||
| (replaced Action) | |||
| France | (as a block on Cartoon Network) | 2015 (as a block on Cartoon Network) | Available as a block on Warner TV Next. |
| (as a block on Toonami) | |||
| Germany | (as a block on TNT Serie) | 2017 (as a block on TNT Serie) | Available as a block on WarnerTV Comedy. |
| 2016 (as a block on TNT Comedy) | |||
| Latin America | (as a block on Cartoon Network) | 2008 (as a block on Cartoon Network) | |
| (as a block on I.Sat) | (as a block on I.Sat) | ||
| (as a block on TBS) | 2020 (as a block on TBS) | ||
| (as a block on Warner TV) | (as a block on Warner TV) | ||
| (as a TV channel) | |||
| Russia | 2021 | Available as a block in Russia on 2x2 channel. | |
| Spain | (as a block on TNT) | 2012 (as a block on TNT) | |
| (as part of HBO) | |||
| (as a premium pack with Toonami on Orange TV) | |||
| UK & Ireland | (as a block on Bravo) | (as a block on Bravo) | Available as a block on E4. |
| (as a block on FX/Fox) | (as a block on FX/Fox) | ||
| (as a block on TCM) | (as a block on TCM) | ||
| (as a block on TruTV) | (as a block on TruTV) | ||
| (as a block on E4) |
| Region(s) | Launch date | End date | Language(s) | Coverage and availability notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia and New Zealand | (block on Cartoon Network Australia and New Zealand) | 2005 (block on Cartoon Network Australia and New Zealand) | English | From Sydney, Australia | |
| (Australia channel) | |||||
| Canada | (as a Cartoon Network channel) | From Toronto, Ontario. Owned by Corus Entertainment. | |||
| (as a Boomerang channel) | |||||
| Central and Eastern Europe | (as part of Cartoon Network Europe) | (Russia) | English, Polish, Romanian, Hungarian, Russian, Bulgarian, Dutch, Czech, and German | From Munich, Germany | |
| (relaunched as an independent feed) | (in whole CEE); replaced by Cartoonito | ||||
| France | French and English | From Paris, France | |||
| Germany | (closed down and replaced by Boomerang Central and Eastern Europe) | German and English | From Munich, Germany | ||
| India (South Asia) | (block on Cartoon Network India) | English and Hindi | From Mumbai, India | ||
| Italy | Italian and English | From Rome, Italy | |||
| Japan | Japanese | From Tokyo, Japan | |||
| Latin America | 1993 (block) | (channel); replaced by Cartoonito | Spanish, English, and Portuguese | From Buenos Aires, Argentina; Santiago, Chile; São Paulo, Brazil; and Mexico City | |
| (channel) | |||||
| Middle East and Africa | (as part of Cartoon Network Europe) | (Africa) and (MENA); replaced by Cartoonito | English, Arabic, and Greek | From London, England | |
| (relaunched as an independent feed) | |||||
| Netherlands | 2017 (closed down and replaced by Boomerang Central and Eastern Europe) | Dutch and English | |||
| Nordic | (as a block) | (as a block) | English, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish | ||
| (as a channel) | (as a channel); replaced by Cartoonito | ||||
| Portugal |
| Portuguese and English | From Lisboa, Portugal | ||
| South Korea |
| Korean and English | From Seoul, South Korea | ||
| Southeast Asia | (original) | (relaunch) | English and Mandarin | From Singapore | |
| (original) | (relaunch); replaced by Cartoonito | ||||
| Spain |
| Spanish and English | From London, England | ||
| Thailand | [31] | Thai | From Bangkok, Thailand | ||
| Turkey | (as a channel) | (as a block on Cartoon Network) | Turkish and English | From Istanbul, Turkey | |
| (as a block on Cartoon Network) |
| ||||
| UK, Ireland & Malta | English | From London, England |
| Region(s) | Launch date | End date | Language(s) | Type | Coverage and availability notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arab World | (original) | (relaunch) | Arabic[32] | Block on Cartoon Network | From Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| (relaunch)[33] | |||||
| Asia Pacific | (channel, original) | (channel, original) | English and Chinese | Channel (2012–2015) | From Singapore and Jakarta, replaced Boomerang Asia |
| (Cartoon Network block) | (Cartoon Network block) | Block on Cartoon Network (2012–2015; 2022) | |||
| (Boomerang block) | (Boomerang block) | Block on Boomerang (2022–2023) | |||
| (channel, relaunch) | Channel (2023-present) | ||||
| Australia & New Zealand | English | Block on Cartoon Network | From Sydney, Australia | ||
| Central and Eastern Europe | (original block) | (original block) | English, Polish, Romanian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Hungarian, Russian, Dutch, and Bulgarian | Block on Boomerang CEE (2011–2014) | From Munich, Germany, replaced Boomerang CEE |
| (relaunched block) | (relaunched block) | Block on Boomerang CEE (2022–2023) | |||
| (channel) | Channel (2023–present) | ||||
| France | (original block) | (original block) | French | Block on Boing (2011–2013) | From Neuilly-sur-Seine, France |
| (channel)[34] | Channel (2023–present) | ||||
| India (South Asia) | Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu | Block on Cartoon Network | From Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | ||
| Italy | Italian | Channel | From Rome, Italy; owned by Boing S.p.A. (joint-venture between Mediaset (51%) and Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA (49%)) | ||
| Japan | Japanese and English | Block on Cartoon Network | From Tokyo, Japan | ||
| Latin America | Spanish, English, and Portuguese | Channel | From Buenos Aires, Argentina, replaced Boomerang Latin America[35] | ||
| Middle East and Africa | (original block) | (original block) | English and Arabic | Block on Boomerang (2011–2014) | From London, England |
| (relaunch block) | ">Web site: Hello, Cartoonito! Coming in April to Boomerang Africa! . March 20, 2022 . BoomerangAfrica. | (relaunch Africa block) (relaunch MENA block) | Block on Boomerang (2022–2023) | ||
(Africa channel) (MENA channel)[36] | Channel (2023–present) | ||||
| Nordic | (block) | (block) | Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and English | Block on Boomerang (2022–2023) | From London, England; replaced Boomerang Nordic |
| (channel) | Channel (2023–present) | ||||
| Philippines | (channel) | (channel) | English | Channel (2012–2015) | From Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila |
| (block) | Block on Cartoon Network (2022–present) | ||||
| Portugal | (block) | (block) | Portuguese and English | Block on Boomerang (2022–2023) | From Lisbon, Portugal; replaced Boomerang Portugal |
| (channel) | Channel (2023–present) | ||||
| South Korea | (block) | (block) | Korean and English | Block on Boomerang (2022–2024) | From Seoul, South Korea; replaced Boomerang South Korea |
| (channel) | Channel (2024–present) | ||||
| Spain | Spanish and English | Channel | From London, England | ||
| Turkey | (Cartoon Network block) | Turkish and English | Block on Cartoon Network (2018–present) | From Istanbul, Turkey; replaced Boomerang Turkey | |
| (Boomerang block) | (Boomerang block) | Block on Boomerang (2022–2023) | |||
| (channel) | Channel (2023–present) | ||||
| UK, Ireland & Malta | (original block) | (original block) | English | Block on Cartoon Network Too (2006–2007) | From London, England |
| (channel) | Channel (2007–present) Block on Boomerang (2009–2010) | ||||
| (relaunch block) | Block on Cartoon Network (2022–present) |
| Region(s) | Launch date | End date | Language(s) | Type | Coverage and availability notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Africa[37] | TBA; replaced by Warner TV Next | English | Channel | |||
| Asia Pacific | English, Thai, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Malay | Channel | From Singapore | |||
| Australia and New Zealand | English | Block on Cartoon Network | Aired on Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons. It later expanded to airing on weekday afternoons. | |||
| France |
| French | Channel | From Paris, France | ||
| India (South Asia) | 2005 (block) (channel) | English and Hindi | Channel | Launched in 2015, it formerly aired action-animated and anime programming, before shifting its focus to airing classic animated series in 2017, similar to Boomerang. It ceased broadcasting in 2018.[38] | (channel) | |
| Latin America | (original block) | (original block) | Spanish and Portuguese | Block on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim | It was later relaunched as "Toonami Powered by Crunchyroll" as part of a partnership with Crunchyroll from 2020–2022. | |
| (First relaunch) | (First relaunch) | |||||
| 2023 (Second relaunch) | ||||||
| UK, Ireland & Malta | English | Channel | Replaced CNX; From London, England |
| Channel name | Launch date | End date | Availability | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boomerang +1 | United Kingdom | One-hour timeshift service to Boomerang. | |||
| Italy | |||||
| France | |||||
| Cartoon Network +1 | (original) | (original) | United Kingdom | One-hour timeshift service to Cartoon Network. The original network was replaced with Cartoon Network Too and subsequently Cartoonito and TCM 2 until the latter block closed. | |
| (relaunch) | |||||
| Italy | |||||
| Cartoon Network HD+ | India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh | The channel is a sister channel of Cartoon Network India, that mostly airs new shows. The channel is an HD-only channel broadcast in South Asia. | |||
| Cartoon Network Too | United Kingdom | Sister channel to Cartoon Network, originally launched as a service that timeshared with TCM 2. Relaunched as part of a merger with Toonami, with original slot being replaced with Cartoonito and re-replaced by Cartoon Network +1. | |||
| CNX | United Kingdom | General Entertainment network that aired mostly action cartoons during the day and more-adult-oriented shows during the evening. Replaced by Toonami |
Note: In Italy and the UK, the network's "+1" timeshift channels are often temporarily rebranded and carry only one franchise for around a month, such as Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, and Ben 10.