Cartoon Network Website Shuts Down, Warner Bros. Discovery Kicks Visitors Over to Max

As a long-time devotee of Cartoon Network, I find myself disheartened and bewildered by the recent turn of events. The closure of cartoonnetwork.com feels like a blow to the nostalgia-laden corner of my heart that has been nurtured by the whimsical worlds of Adventure Time, Gumball, and Steven Universe for far too many years to count.


Cartoon Network has been scrubbed from the web.

Warner Bros. Discovery has temporarily taken down cartoonnetwork.com, guiding visitors towards a registration page for Max, their subscription-based streaming platform. This move seems to have occurred on August 8th, and it’s an invitation for fans to subscribe so they can continue watching their beloved Cartoon Network shows.

“Interested in streaming episodes of your beloved Cartoon Network shows? Explore the selection on Max (a subscription service). If you’re new here, consider signing up for Max. You can set up a Kids Profile with parental controls to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. Even if you have cable, don’t forget to enjoy your favorite CN programs on TV and connected apps!”

WBD reps did not immediately respond to a request for more info.

Previously, the Cartoon Network website provided complete episodes and video excerpts from its lineup of shows such as “Adventure Time,” “Craig of the Creek,” “The Amazing World of Gumball,” “Teen Titans GO!”, “Steven Universe,” “We Bare Bears” and “Clarence.” Additionally, it gave users free access to games based on several shows like “Teen Titans GO!”, “Adventure Time,” and “Gumball.”

A week following Warner Bros. Discovery’s announcement about ending the traditional Boomerang ‘toon streaming service on September 30, cartoonnetwork.com is now shutting down. They are transferring both their customers and content library over to Max instead.

It seems that Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is making some strategic changes by discontinuing Cartoon Network, which I believe is an attempt to boost subscriptions for their Max service. Remarkably, this isn’t a unique approach as Paramount Global previously removed a vast collection of content from Comedy Central’s site and took down the complete archives of MTV News and CMT from the web earlier this summer. This trend indicates a focus on monetizing digital content by encouraging fans to pay for these services.

On Wednesday, Warner Bros. Discovery revealed a 6% decrease in Q2 revenue to $9.71 billion, accompanied by an enormous net loss of nearly $10 billion. This significant loss is primarily attributed to a write-down of $9.1 billion due to the decline in the value of their cable TV networks. The company experienced a minor drop in domestic subscribers for its streaming services, specifically losing approximately 300,000 to reach 52.4 million. However, international streaming customers increased by 3.9 million during this period, bringing the total to 50.8 million.

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2024-08-09 17:16