Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has scrubbed the American version of its Cartoon Network channel from the Internet.
The move, first noticed this week and reported by Variety, is an apparent attempt to drive more subscribers to WBD’s flagship streaming service, Max, where episodes of current and classic Cartoon Network shows are available.
It comes about one month after WBD shut down a website associated with Boomerang, its retro cartoon channel. Some shows previously offered by Boomerang are also available to stream on Max, while other cartoon series have been licensed to Weigel Broadcasting for its new retro animation channel MeTV Toons.
“Looking for episodes of your favorite Cartoon Network shows? Check out what’s available to stream on Max (subscription required),” the Cartoon Network website now reads when visited by Internet users in the U.S.
Other regional websites, including the website for Cartoon Network’s British and pan-European channels, are still available — but TV episodes on those websites cannot be streamed by American viewers.
Earlier this week, WBD reported its global subscriber count for Max and Discovery Plus stood at 103 million, or 6.7 million higher when compared to the prior year. In the U.S. market, Max subscribers clocked in at 52.4 million, or around 300,000 fewer on a year-over basis, though still higher on a sequential basis, spurred by more live sports programming and a discount deal during March Madness.
