Make All Classic Cartoons Free

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Back in 1958, Daffy Duck starred in a cartoon where he was a hilariously bad version of Robin Hood – constantly messing up despite having a famous name. However, recent handling of the Looney Tunes franchise by Warner Bros. Discovery has been even more problematic. Under CEO David Zaslav, new films like The Day the Earth Blew Up and Coyote vs. Acme were either sold off or cancelled (though Coyote vs. Acme was later saved). The classic Looney Tunes cartoons were also removed from HBO Max in March as the company scaled back its animation and children’s programming. While Looney Tunes content wasn’t completely gone, it became difficult to find, appearing mostly on YouTube or a small channel called MeTV Toons, effectively hiding these classic American animation treasures once again.

Tubi, the free streaming service with ads, started gaining attention when it added a large collection of classic Looney Tunes cartoons in August. They acquired 789 shorts, ranging from golden-age favorites like “The Great Piggy Bank Robbery” and “Long-Haired Hare” to cartoons from the early 1990s. According to Tubi’s head of acquisitions, Samuel Harowitz, the Looney Tunes collection has been incredibly successful, becoming one of the platform’s top ten most-watched series and appealing to viewers of all ages.

Similar to how Netflix introduced shows like Breaking Bad and Suits to new viewers, Tubi has become a natural streaming home for Warner Bros.’ classic cartoons – something HBO Max couldn’t achieve. Tubi caters to a large fanbase of classic animation, offering shows like Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. When Warner Bros. removed hundreds of these shorts from HBO Max, Tubi quickly made an offer and acquired as many Looney Tunes shorts as possible. They’re currently working to keep Looney Tunes available on Tubi for years to come. While not every classic short is available – around 200 remain in the vault due to problematic stereotypes – Tubi’s collection of nearly 800 shorts is one of the largest publicly available collections of Looney Tunes in any format. Warner Bros. Discovery made the decision regarding which shorts to exclude due to these sensitivities.

The way Tubi presents classic Looney Tunes feels unique and appealing, and offering it for free is a big reason why. According to Alan Harowitz, streaming through ad-supported platforms like Tubi is just a new way to experience familiar TV. He explains that watching with his kids brings back the same joyful feelings he had as a child watching cartoons on an old television.

Tubi decided to present these classic cartoons in the best way possible: 30-minute episodes. While you can certainly pick and choose your favorite shorts, watching full episodes with a variety of characters and situations is more fun and makes it easier to just relax and watch. The collections, labeled as “seasons” even though they were originally shown in theaters, are generally organized from newest to oldest, though some fans have stepped in to fix the order in a few places. This setup feels like watching traditional TV, and it’s much more enjoyable than some streaming services like HBO Max and Disney+, which sometimes make the frustrating mistake of automatically starting the next short before the current one finishes. Plus, instead of regular commercials, Tubi shows subtle ads for Looney Tunes between each cartoon, so you won’t miss any jokes. For example, you can enjoy a classic like “Rabbit Fire” without an ad interrupting Daffy getting hilariously shot in the face.

This cartoon, like many others, looks remarkably clear in HD. That’s because these classic animations were carefully restored for Warner’s Blu-ray and DVD releases before being licensed for streaming. Jerry Beck, an animation historian involved in those physical releases and now with MeTV Toons, explains that restoration makes them look like new – as the Looney Tunes deserve. He confirmed Tubi is using these restored versions, and he’s pleased when viewers notice the improvement. “We’ve been working on this for years,” he says, “so more people can now enjoy these cartoons looking their best on television.”

Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes, a well-known franchise, didn’t feel like a highlight on the company’s streaming service, often getting lost among content from Discovery+ and promotions for House of the Dragon. Disney, however, highly values its animated content, carefully restores its classic cartoons, and has made many Mickey, Donald, and Goofy shorts available on Disney+. Still, these represent only a small portion of the hundreds of cartoons Disney has created over the years. Both Disney and Warner Bros., along with free streaming services like Tubi, Pluto TV, and the Roku Channel—all of which show some cartoons—have a chance to attract new viewers and generate advertising revenue with this content.

Tubi is making classic cartoons easy to find. After you watch a few Looney Tunes episodes, the service prominently displays similar shows like The Pink Panther, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Popeye. Tubi is also open to adding more Looney Tunes content and potentially even streaming the new Coyote vs. Acme movie, though discussions haven’t started yet. This approach could be a great way for studios to showcase their older, popular cartoons instead of letting them sit unused.

While Tubi offers a good collection of classic animated shorts, it could improve by adding more background information or organizing them for dedicated fans. However, the most important thing is that these shorts are now available to watch, and that’s what people really want. According to Beck, a long-time author of books about these characters, he’s actually pleased they were removed from HBO Max, as it allowed other platforms like Tubi to share them with a wider audience.

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2025-10-24 16:55