Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has abruptly removed all classic Boomerang shows from its HBO Max streaming platform, effectively stripping the service of a cornerstone of nostalgic kids’ programming. The decision, announced late Monday, affects beloved series such as Scooby Doo and the Jetsons, among dozens of others that defined a generation of Saturday morning viewing. This purge comes on the heels of HBO Max’s recent removal of the entire original Looney Tunes library, which was licensed to free ad-supported streaming service Tubi, signaling a broader strategic pivot away from child-focused content toward more adult-oriented offerings as the company grapples with mounting financial pressures.
The removal of these Boomerang and origiinally Cartoon Network staples – which collectively span thousands of episodes produced between the 1990s and early 2000s – leaves HBO Max’s kids’ section significantly diminished. WBD pulled this content without prior notice to subscribers, echoing earlier controversies surrounding the platform’s content strategy. The removal was first spotted by palces like ToonHive on X.
This latest development fits into a pattern of aggressive cost-cutting that has defined WBD’s operations since the 2022 merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc. Under CEO David Zaslav, the company has repeatedly signaled a retreat from expansive kids’ and animated content investments. In August 2025, HBO Max shuttered the HBO Family channel, a dedicated family programming hub that ceased operations on August 15, citing a need to “sharpen focus” amid declining viewership for child-oriented fare.
The Looney Tunes exodus, finalized in March 2025, serves as a stark precedent. The entire catalog of over 500 original shorts from 1930 to 1969 – including Academy Award winners like What’s Opera, Doc? and cultural touchstones such as Duck Amuck – vanished from HBO Max without fanfare. WBD licensed the collection to Tubi, the free ad-supported streaming service owned by Fox Corporation, where it now streams to over 700 episodes bundled into accessible half-hour blocks. This relocation not only generated licensing revenue for WBD but also underscored the company’s willingness to offload family assets to trim costs.
As HBO Max evolves into a more mature platform – evidenced by recent deals like a 20-title adult animation package from GKIDS, featuring films such as Your Name and Shin Godzilla – subscribers are left scrambling for alternatives. Tubi has emerged as a unlikely hero for classic animation fans, offering free access to Looney Tunes and other Warner titles like The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries. Platforms like Netflix and Disney+ continue to dominate kids’ streaming, with Netflix recently acquiring Sesame Street after WBD declined to renew its deal in late 2024.
WBD’s moves reflect the harsh realities of the streaming wars: survival demands ruthless prioritization. Yet, for a company built on timeless characters like Bugs Bunny and the Powerpuff Girls, the erasure of its animated heritage raises questions about how people will watch these classic shows now.
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