After Being Saved From HBO Max Removal, This Classic Animated Series Is Now Bigger (& More Free) Than Ever

HBO Max might have removed this classic animation powerhouse from its streaming service earlier this year, but the franchise has since gotten bigger (and more free to stream) than ever when it was saved by Tubi and found a whole new audience. Warner Bros. Discovery is in the midst of yet another sea of changes after the last few years of shake ups, but nothing has been hit as hard within the company as its animated programs. As HBO Max shifts away from children’s entertainment, much of that classic library of shows has been stripped away over the past couple of years.

Looney Tunes ended up being one of the most shocking renewals early on. The classic animation juggernaut was removed from HBO Max earlier this Spring alongside Warner Bros. Discovery burying other Looney Tunes releases like The Day The Earth Blew Up and Coyote vs. Acme (both of which have since been saved and headed to theaters). But this massive library of cartoons was quickly saved by Tubi, and is now one of the biggest streaming hits on that platform with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Looney Tunes Becomes a Big Hit With Tubi

Free ad-supported television streaming services such as Tubi have become increasingly popular as more viewers see just how big of a library they have at their disposal, and it got even bigger earlier this year when Looney Tunes‘ nearly 800 episodes came to the platform. According to a new report from Vulture, Looney Tunes is currently in Tubi’s top-ten best performing series with the service as the company says it’s become a hit across multiple generations of viewers. “On its own, Looney Tunes is a huge win for us,” Samuel Harowitz, Tubi’s head of acquisitions stated about the franchise’s success.

Being available completely for free is one of the big reasons why Looney Tunes has been such a hit with Tubi, but another is the fact that the streaming service is really going all out to make sure they handle the classic franchise with lots of care. “Classic animation is one of the biggest fandoms that we serve on the platform,” Harowitz continued as Tubi is home to other Saturday morning cartoon classics, but Looney Tunes is a beast unto itself with 789 episodes currently available for streaming with the platform across multiple generations of its run.

In fact, Tubi acted quickly to get the rights for Looney Tunes as soon as they were up for grabs. While there are a few hundred shorts that are currently not available as Warner Bros. has held them back for “cultural sensitivities” according to Harowitz, Tubi wants to keep the library of shorts they do have for as long as they are able, “We are in active negotiations to ensure that Tubi can be the home of Looney Tunes for quite a while,” the executive stated. With “likely years” being possible for the license.

Read Next

Where to Watch Looney Tunes and Scooby-Doo Content Removed From Max (For Free)

Why This Is Important for Looney Tunes

Looney Tunes is about as timeless of an animated franchise as one could ask for. With many different fan favorite characters across hundreds of different shorts, decades of longevity and more, the Looney Tunes have grown to be a part of the much wider pop culture. Regardless of the age, there’s likely a project from every generation that animation fans could point to across the decades whether it be Space Jam, Baby Looney Tunes, cameos in Multiversus, t-shirts and all sorts of other trinkets and special releases. Even with all of its popularity and positioning within the wider pop culture spectrum, the brand itself was still very much in danger under Warner Bros. Discovery.

It was purged from HBO Max’s library, and it would have been gone completely if it weren’t for Tubi. Warner Bros. even sought to bury new attempts at bringing the Looney Tunes to theaters with plans to forgo releases for both The Day the Earth Blew Up and Coyote vs. Acme. These particular cancellations got a lot of attention from fans online, and thankfully both films ended up being saved by different distributors. The Day the Earth Blew Up hit theaters earlier this year (and is currently one of the biggest releases with HBO Max), and Coyote vs. Acme is currently scheduled to hit sometime in 2026.

But thankfully, platforms like Tubi have done right by Looney Tunes and are now finding a whole new generation of fans to latch onto. The animated franchise is now streaming completely for free with the platform, and that’s honestly the best case scenario. It’s best enjoyed through a free television environment, and now even more fans that ever can experience the classic in the same way. What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

HT – Vulture