Cartoon Network fans might have noticed how its shows have been premiering on various streaming platforms over the last couple of years, and it turns out that it’s part of a bigger plan to help the channel’s classic franchises to live outside of the channel itself. Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. have been in the midst of many complicated maneuvers of the last few years. Already in the midst of a big merger and on the cusp of another one with Paramount, Warner Bros. Animation is facing an uncertain future for their respective franchises overall.
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Speaking with The Wrap, Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios and Hanna Barbera Studios Europe president Sam Register opened up about how many of their current revivals such as the most recently released Adventure Time: Side Quests and The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball have been launching with streaming platforms like Hulu instead of just with Cartoon Network. It’s part of a bigger initiative to expand the brand and keep them alive outside of the channel.
Cartoon Network Expands Outside of HBO Max
Register explained that the move away from HBO Max was Discovery’s doing as they moved further away from all-ages programming on the platform and instead told Register to look for other places to put children’s shows. That would explain why the classic Cartoon Network library eventually disappeared from the streaming service little by little, and why some of the biggest hits for other streamers like Batman: Caped Crusader were shopped to different streaming services like Prime Video instead. It was part of a wider initiative.
Register also explained that this initiative was always in the plans to expand Cartoon Network Studios as a brand that could shop out its works to other streaming services, “It was a two-prong approach, which is, we have this amazing Cartoon Network Studios IP that is valuable to potential partners, both internally and externally.” This expansion of its various IP is also what’s helping it in the new streaming era where it’s more brand driven to gain interest and potential viewership for the newest shows, revivals and more.
What Does This Mean for Cartoon Network’s Future?
“In streaming, that device of marketing goes away, and it becomes the brand that becomes the important thing,” Register stated. As Cartoon Network prepares to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the channel, this might be tough stuff for fans to hear considering that many of the classic shows seem to be cynically returning for new projects and sequels to keep them afloat. But that’s not exactly it as Register is also fully aware of continuing to move forward with new creators and ideas.
Lars of the Stars is pointed to as a notable example of this as Register notes how this next ever of the Steven Universe series was a way to, “bring in the original creators, who could tell an original story and something new in that universe that we haven’t seen before.” The president is fully aware of trying to move ahead towards new ideas, but is trying to balance it further with older IPs. Now it’s just a matter of seeing whether or not these shows can actually survive even if the worst happens to Cartoon Network in the future.
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HT – The Wrap
