Boomerang (TV network)

Boomerang
	Logo used since 2015
Country	United States
Broadcast area	Nationwide
Network	Cartoon Network (1992–2004)
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.;
Programming
Language(s)	English; Spanish (with SAP; a Spanish language simulcast of the channel is also available);
Picture format	720p HDTV; (downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed);
Ownership
Owner	Warner Bros. Discovery Networks
Parent	The Cartoon Network, Inc.
Sister channels	List Adult Swim; Cartoon Network; Cartoonito; American Heroes Channel; Animal Planet; Cinemax; CNN; Cooking Channel; The CW; Destination America; Discovery Channel; Discovery Familia; Discovery Family; Discovery Life; Food Network; HBO; HGTV; Investigation Discovery; Magnolia Network; Oprah Winfrey Network; Science Channel; TBS; TLC; TNT; Travel Channel; TruTV; Turner Classic Movies; ;
History
Launched	December 8, 1992; 31 years ago (block); April 1, 2000; 24 years ago (channel); April 11, 2017; 7 years ago (streaming service);
Closed	October 3, 2004; 19 years ago (block)
Former names	Boomerang from Cartoon Network (2000–2015)
Links
Website	www.boomerang.com
Availability
Streaming media
Affiliated Streaming Service	Max
	DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV

Boomerang is an American cable television network and subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Networks, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. It primarily features animated programming from the Warner Bros. Animation library (including Warner Bros. Cartoons and Hanna-Barbera productions among others), as well as contemporary reboots of classic franchises.

Boomerang debuted in 1992 as a programming block on Cartoon Network, and was originally dedicated to classic animation. The block was eventually spun-off into its own separate network in 2000, and by the late 2000s, began airing more modern and contemporary programming, including reruns of Cartoon Network original series. A 2015 relaunch aimed to promote Boomerang as a "second flagship" brand alongside Cartoon Network, and saw the network produce its own original programming; with a focus on reboots of franchises such as Looney Tunes and Scooby-Doo. In 2017, as the cable network was losing coverage, Boomerang launched its own standalone SVOD app.

As of November 2023^[update], the Boomerang cable network is available to approximately 26,000,000 pay television households in the United States; down from its 2019 peak of 47,000,000 households.^[1]

History

Background and early years

The Turner Broadcasting System had built up an extensive catalogue of MGM and early Warner Brothers cartoons since the 1980s. The library made up much of the extensive children's programming on TBS and TNT, which was phased out after the creation of the Cartoon Network on October 1, 1992. Boomerang was created as a new home for these and similar programming, originating as a programming block on Cartoon Network on December 8, 1992. The block originally aired for four hours every weekend, but the block's start time had changed frequently.^{[citation needed]} The Saturday block moved to into the afternoon, then back to the early morning while the Sunday block moved to the evenings.^{[citation needed]} Eventually, Boomerang was shortened by an hour, reducing it from four hours to three each weekend.^{[citation needed]}

With Cartoon Network downplaying its archival programming in favor of newer original series, Turner launched the Boomerang cable channel on April 1, 2000.^[2] The Cartoon Network block continued to run under the new cable channel's branding until October 3, 2004.^{[citation needed]}

Relaunch

On February 4, 2014, as part of the 2014 upfronts, it was announced that Boomerang would become an advertising-supported network, and that there were plans to expand the brand globally.^[3]^[4] In October of that year, a global rebranding was unveiled. The new branding was first launched in Latin America in late September, before arriving in the United States on January 19, 2015. As part of the expansion, Boomerang would introduce original programming for the first time, which would place a particular focus on the most well-known franchises from the Warner archives with an explicitly family-friendly approach. Turner executives described the changes as being an effort to grow Boomerang into a "second flagship" on par with the Cartoon Network.^[5]^[6]^[7]

On March 7, 2017, Boomerang announced the launch of its branded SVOD streaming service.^[8] The service would feature 5000+ titles from Hanna-Barbera and Warner Bros, as well as exclusive original programming.^[9] The SVOD launched on April 11, 2017, and was available for either for $4.99 per month or $39.99 annually. New episodes and content were planned to be added to the service on a weekly basis.^[10]

On November 13, 2018, Boomerang launched a channel on the VRV streaming service.^[11] That same year, the 3rd Annual Shorty Social Good Awards nominated Boomerang and the Captain Planet Foundation for Best in Entertainment.^[12]^[13]

Programming

The network currently airs a mix of classic cartoons and contemporary re-imaginings of franchises from the Warner Bros. animation library,^[14] as well as reruns (and, on occasion, premieres and finales) of programming aired on Cartoon Network. It has also been used to burn off programs from Cartoon Network. As part of its 2015 relaunch, Boomerang previously produced its own original programs, including Wabbit (later re-titled New Looney Tunes for its second season), Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!, and an animated adaptation of Bunnicula.^[15]

Not all of the Warner Bros. animation library is exclusive to Boomerang. Recently, Weigel Broadcasting's MeTV has integrated Warner Bros. animated content into its daily schedule; after acquiring The Flinstones and The Jetsons in 2019 and 2021 respectively,^[16]^[17] the network introduced the Toon In with Me variety show and Saturday Morning Cartoons block, featuring a mix of Warner Bros. and Paramount Global cartoons (including Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies, Popeye, Betty Boop, and MGM theatrical shorts).^[18] Warner Bros. animated content will also make up much of the schedule for MeTV's forthcoming spin-off network, MeTV Toons.

Other Services

Service	Description
Boomerang HD	The cable network's high-definition feed is carried on a few pay television providers; tiering of the channel varies by service, with some operators offering it as either a basic-tier or higher-tier network.^{[citation needed]} Most providers do not carry the linear channel, instead offering the network's video-on-demand service bundled with Cartoon Network.^{[citation needed]} On March 4, 2019, the channel changed its default ratio to 16:9, with 4:3 content being aired stretched and the screen bug moving away from the 4:3 area (similar to what Cartoon Network did in May 2013).^{[citation needed]} As of January 2020, Boomerang began to be carried in high-definition on several online television services, along with some cable providers through their apps.^{[citation needed]}
Boomerang On Demand	Boomerang's video-on-demand service was launched in 2005, and is available on select digital cable, satellite, and IPTV providers.^{[citation needed]} The service offers select episodes of the channel's archived programming, along with select archived Cartoon Network original programs.^{[citation needed]} In April 2013, Boomerang On Demand began to separate program content by "theme" (for example, in observance of Mother's Day, the service featured episodes of The Flintstones and Dexter's Laboratory focusing on Dexter's mom and Wilma Flintstone).^{[citation needed]} This method was scrapped in January 2015 as part of the network's rebrand.^{[citation needed]}

Availability

The Boomerang streaming service is currently only available in the United States.^[19]

Boomerang-branded networks and blocks have been launched globally. As part of the brand's 2015 relaunch, these branches were initially aligned as family co-viewing networks.^[20] Beginning in 2023, several of these outlets were re-aligned under the preschool-oriented Cartoonito brand (which would have its own relaunch in 2021).^[21]