Wallet-friendly streaming TV service Philo is planning to offer Weigel Broadcasting’s retro cartoon channel MeTV Toons shortly after it debuts in late June, The Desk has learned.
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Philo said the service is “working on having the channel available by the end of June,” and said subscribers who are interested in the channel should “stay tuned for an update” that is expected a bit closer to the network’s launch date.
The affirmation comes one day after Philo competitor Frndly TV acknowledged it was adding MeTV Toons to its roster of general entertainment and lifestyle channels by the end of the month. Both services offer other Weigel-owned digital networks as part of their programming packages, including the flagship MeTV channel, Heroes & Icons, Story Television and Dabl. Frndly TV starts at $8 per month and includes around 40 live channels, while Philo offers over 140 cable networks and free, ad-supported streaming TV channels for $25 per month.
MeTV Toons is growing out of a retro cartoon block that has aired Saturday mornings on MeTV for the past few years. Programming for MeTV Toons will largely come from WBD’s classic animation library, including shows under the Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera (“The Flintstones,” “The Jetsons”) brands, with additional cartoons sourced from Paramount Pictures, MGM Studios, Terrytoons, Sony’s Columbia Pictures, Comcast’s Universal Studios and others.
Weigel says MeTV Toons will be carried on its owned-and-operated stations as a digital sub-channel in key parts of the country, including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and St. Louis. Weigel is still working to onboard additional MeTV Toons broadcast affiliates in other parts of the country before the channel’s launch date, which is scheduled for June 25.
