For anyone working in or passionate about animation, this Deadline article is a tough one to read:
https://deadline.com/2025/08/cartoon-network-series-removed-hbo-max-cour...
Courage the Cowardly Dog, What’s New Scooby Doo, and several other beloved Cartoon Network series have been quietly removed from Max. No announcement, no warning, just gone. The move is part of an ongoing focus on adult and family programming at HBO Max and a move away from children’s content. It marks another strategy shift for the Warner Bros Discovery streamer.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen animation erased from major platforms with little regard for creators or fans. And unfortunately, it likely won’t be the last. These kinds of removals highlight a growing need for better preservation, transparency, and respect for animated content, especially as it becomes clear that animation, despite its cultural impact, continues to be undervalued in the eyes of some corporate decision-makers.
What can we as creatives do to protect and preserve our work in a landscape where distribution rights can change overnight?
2 people like this
Sigh...I will read the article soon. I hope it mentions where we can watch them going forward. Is there a cartoon station that play re-runs? Does Boomerang still do that?
1 person likes this
Maybe creatives can make sure there's language in their contracts to protect and preserve our work, Ashley Renee Smith, but I'm guessing it'd have to be big-name creatives or really hot projects for that to happen.
2 people like this
They’re not being erased, just put back in the vault while the company figures out how to monetize them somewhere else. The offer-everything-for-one-low-price model is not working for most of these services, and they’re eyeing ad-supported channels for back catalog material.
2 people like this
I would definitely watch these on ad-supported channels. I wonder how much they would make on Youtube.
2 people like this
Ashley Renee Smith -sigh- Kevin Jackson I'll save you the read, no it does not state where the shows are being moved to. It does state that "The move is part of an ongoing focus on adult and family programming at HBO Max and a move away from children’s content." I'm not too sure how to feel about this. I think the nostalgia in me is crying but the business in me understands that if the ratings aren't there there's no point in renewing a license for low ratings. I do hope they are able to find a solution for this.