In 2017, Warner Bros. launched Boomerang as a standalone streaming service dedicated to a timeless promise: cartoon classics, on demand. Built around a library of over 5,000 animated titles from Hanna-Barbera, Looney Tunes, and MGM, the platform was pitched as the ultimate destination for fans of Scooby-Doo, Tom & Jerry, The Flintstones, and The Jetsons. For $5.99 a month, it offered ad-free access to both vintage series and new originals like Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz and a rebooted Wacky Races. It was nostalgia made portable. A cable-era brand reimagined for cord-cutters.
But in September 2024, after seven years of quiet service, Boomerang’s streaming platform was officially shut down. Subscribers were migrated to Max, Warner Bros. Discovery’s flagship service, and the Boomerang app was removed from digital storefronts.
The Boomerang story, like that of FilmStruck before it, reveals a familiar pattern: beloved niche services quietly phased out as part of broader corporate consolidation.
A Familiar Name in a New Format
The Boomerang name wasn’t new. It had long existed as a linear cable channel under the Cartoon Network family. The 2017 launch of the Boomerang streaming app marked a shift. For the first time, fans could access this rich animation vault on demand, without needing a cable subscription.
The app launched with about 1,000 episodes and promised weekly updates. It wasn’t a technological powerhouse, but it delivered something unique: a focused home for classic animation supported by characters that spanned generations. Shows like Yogi Bear, Popeye, Magilla Gorilla, and Wacky Races returned to screens alongside promised originals.
Not Quite What Was Promised
However, Boomerang arrived with fewer titles than initially expected. Series like The Flintstones and The Jetsons were missing at launch, and some of the announced original content was delayed. The platform itself was barebones, lacking features like offline viewing, personalized recommendations, or user profiles.
Still, the appeal of the content was strong enough for many fans to accept the limitations. The annual pricing plan made it an easy choice for families and animation enthusiasts alike.
From Companion Channel to Cutback
Boomerang was always intended as a complement to the existing cable channel rather than a replacement. While the TV version catered to traditional viewers, the app was designed for a mobile-first audience. Over time, though, it became clear that Boomerang was not a major focus for Warner Bros. Discovery.
As the company prioritized Max as its central streaming platform, smaller services like Boomerang and MotorTrend+ were quietly phased out. This trend reflected a larger industry shift. Paramount did the same with Noggin. Disney merged Hulu with Disney+. Niche streamers were being folded into larger services that offered broader content libraries.
In the end, Boomerang could not compete for attention or investment in this new streaming landscape.
The Bigger Picture: What Happened to Looney Tunes?
Boomerang’s shutdown might have gone unnoticed by some, but its significance resurfaced in early 2025. Warner Bros. Discovery made headlines by removing its entire Looney Tunes classic short archive from Max. The timing was curious, coming in the same week that The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie debuted in theaters.
This move was not driven by creative judgment. It was driven by data.
As reported by Bloomberg and other sources, the decision reflected shifting engagement trends. Classic Looney Tunes content no longer attracted high levels of viewership among children, and Warner Bros. Discovery was aiming to reduce costs associated with licensed or underperforming content. Today’s kids are more likely to watch YouTube creators and gaming videos than vintage animation.
From a business standpoint, it made sense to remove the shorts if they were not pulling in the right audience or justifying their hosting costs.
Enter Tubi: The New Toon Town
On April 1, 2025, Tubi announced it would begin streaming The Looney Tunes Show and The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries. Whether intentional or not, the date raised eyebrows. But this wasn’t a prank. It was another example of Tubi stepping in to offer a home to content cast aside by premium platforms.
This move followed Tubi’s recent acquisition of Premier League streaming rights in Mexico after a rights disruption by Fox Sports. Now, it was giving Looney Tunes a new digital home, free of charge and supported by ads.
Tubi’s emergence as a content rescuer reflects the growing power of free ad-supported streaming services. These platforms have become important destinations for legacy content that no longer fits within the subscription-first models of larger streamers.
What We Lost, and What We Learned
Boomerang was never built to be the biggest or flashiest streaming service. But it had a clear purpose. It served fans who wanted easy access to animation history, and it offered families a reliable selection of safe, classic content. It was a curated space that let older generations relive their childhoods and younger viewers discover timeless characters.
Its closure marks more than the loss of a service. It represents a shift in priorities across the industry. Today, value is measured not just in cultural significance but in recurring revenue, engagement metrics, and licensing control.
Even so, the spirit of Boomerang lives on. Not just in the Max catalog, but in Tubi’s growing animation lineup and in the memories of those who found comfort in familiar theme songs and slapstick routines.
Boomerang is gone as a service. But the characters, the laughter, and the legacy continue—just in a different corner of the internet.
