Adult Swim Expansion Announced as Warner Bros. Discovery Reshuffles Priorities

It looks like Adult Swim is about to have all eyes on its spring lineup, and we have Warner Bros. Discovery to thank. Despite a very shaky few months, the merged company is paving the way for a new release slate. It turns out Adult Swim and Cartoon Network will be foundational elements of what WBD wants. And to kick off that plan, a new report has confirmed Adult Swim is expanding its time slot.

The update went live today in tandem with the trailer for Gennedy Tartakovsky's Unicorn Warriors Eternal. It turns out the show will debut on May 1st starting at 7:00 PM EST. The show will mark a new start time for Adult Swim as the late-night block will begin an hour earlier once May rolls in.

Of course, fans are eager to see Unicorn Warriors Eternal, and this Adult Swim update is far from the only news Cartoon Network is pushing forward today. Speaking with Deadline, the network's president Michael Ouweleen said his teams are "feeling more possibility this year" after a difficult 2022.

"The DNA we share with Discovery is, they fully understand certain genres, so they understand how we operate in that way. They understand strong brands," Ouweleen shared. "They're surprised at our strength. It looks on the surface like it's a niche thing, but it's not, it's mass.

"The one learning curve for them, and for me, conversely, is that most of Discovery's content is very quickly made and they can make tons of it. Animation takes two years and hundreds of people. It's still hand-made, though obviously, we have digital tools. ... Our stuff takes longer to make, but also airs forever. The long tail of animation is one that's interesting to the company, and it's one I need to keep repeating because it's so bizarre to them. So, it's been an education on both sides."

According to Ouweleen, the management at WBD wants plenty of new content from the Adult Swim, Toonami, and Cartoon Network teams. In fact, Deadline reports HBO Max and its next iteration will put a focus on the divisions under Ouweleen. Adult Swim and Cartoon Network will be "foundation elements of the rebranded service", and this new expansion to Adult Swim proves as much.

With shows like Royal Crackers as well as Rick and Morty on tap, Adult Swim has a playground of animation to explore. WBD seems eager to give its animation team more toys to play with. So if you haven't given Adult Swim a shot in recent years, you will want to get on board the train ASAP.

What do you make of this latest Adult Swim update? Are you glad to see the late-night block is thriving? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.