Cartoon Network is an American television channel known for broadcasting animated TV shows, targeting primarily children and pre-teens.
Launched in 1992 by Turner Broadcasting, it quickly became famous for original series, reruns of classic cartoons, and innovative animation styles. Its audience primarily consists of children aged 6 to 12, but the network also attracts teens and young adults who enjoy nostalgic or more mature animated content.
From the iconic The Powerpuff Girls to the geeky but lovable Dexter's Laboratory, Cartoon Network has delivered countless unforgettable shows. With titles like Courage the Cowardly Dog, Teen Titans, Johnny Bravo, Ben 10, Batwheels and many, many more, Cartoon Network has certainly stole many hearts.
It has been captivating children for so many years, and become part of their childhood.
And now, to cut cost, Warner Bros. Discovery that owns Cartoon Network, has shut down CartoonNetwork.com.
The announcement came after Warner Bros. Discovery announced their quarterly earnings report, saying that the company is taking a $9.1 billion write down with its legacy television unit.
Cartoon Network official website, CartoonNetwork.com, was registered on January 9, 1996. It officially launched on July 27, 1998.
In its early years, Cartoon Network collaborated with small studios to create exclusive "Web Premiere Toons", short cartoons made specifically for the website. The site also hosted the "Department of Cartoons", a section that offered detailed resources on the network's shows, including storyboards, episode guides, backgrounds, sound and video files, model sheets, production notes, and more.
In January 1999, the Department of Cartoons featured the "MGM Golden Age Collection", a rare archive of vintage material that had not been seen in over 50 years.
In October 2000, Cartoon Network launched Cartoon Orbit, an online gaming platform that introduced digital trading cards known as "cToons". The game continued until its closure on October 16, 2006.
As time past, the company made the website its major hub for fans of the network, offering a range of features that catered to different audiences, from casual visitors to die-hard fans.
CartoonNetwork.com was well praised, and managed to surpass many of its rivals, including Nickelodeon's website, in terms of unique visitors.
However, as the internet matures and mobile devices become more prominent in people's lives, streaming platforms thrive.
And as a result of this, Cartoon Network and other cable networks were losing revenue with a loss in carriage fees from cord-cutting resulting in a drop in subscribers and ratings.
Then on August 8, 2024, Cartoon Network decided to end its website.
At that date, CartoonNetwork.com officially shut down and redirects to the Cartoon Network hub on the streaming service Max, the subscription video-on-demand service Warner Bros. Discovery also owns.
Besides cutting down cost for Warner Bros. Discovery, a Cartoon Network spokesperson explained that the company was also focusing on its shows and social media, where consumer engagement is stronger and growth potential is higher.
But what's worth noting here is that, the shut down of the website also removes access to archive of clips and free series but also erases years of Flash games tied to its shows.
In other words, the shut down of the website also scrubs whatever things that have been associated with Cartoon Network brand on the web.
It's worth nothing though, that some archives have been kept accessible to international versions of the Cartoon Network website, especially on regions where Max is not available.