Dumped By HBO Max, ‘Looney Tunes’ Is A Hit On New Home Tubi
The unceremonious removal of Warner Bros. Animation’s iconic staple, Looney Tunes, from the HBO Max library was justifiably seen as a mistake by most. Now, that plurality of detractors is being proven right by the most recent development for Bugs Bunny and his Merrie band of Melodies.
RELATED: Ketchup Entertainment Acquires ‘Coyote vs Acme’, Will Release It Next Year
They were evicted from the streaming Warner Lot, but when free streamer Tubi came knocking (possibly asking, “What’s up, Doc?”) the cartoons found a new home, and wouldn’t you know it? Feathering their nest there like Tweety feathers his cage has become mutually beneficial.
Tubi’s acquisition head Samuel Harowitz announced in a Vulture piece that HBO Max’s loss is their gain as the Looney Tunes are “a huge win” for the platform. The shorts place in the Top 10 best-performing series and, moreover, perform well across generations and demos.
Because of this, Tubi hopes they can hold onto the over 700 shorts now on their service, which are in HD although out of order. The restorations were done by animation historian Jerry Beck, who is okay with Warners letting go of their crowning creations.
“I’m kind of glad [Warner Brothers Discovery] took them off HBO Max and allowed other networks to use them so we can all see them,” Beck said.
Ideally, Tubi wants to keep the Tunes around “for quite a while, likely years.” Negotiations are active and ongoing with potential for them to be the home of new content including Coyote vs. Acme.
However, we’ll have to wait and see on that one. The scuttled film, which was acquired by Ketchup Entertainment, still has to make its release date next year. If it proves bankable, then it could become cornerstone content for HBO Max for years to come.
The last Looney Tunes film to receive a theatrical release was The Day the Earth Blew Up which finally came out earlier this year, and is available to stream on Max. How long that will last is anyone’s guess. Warner’s actions the past few years strongly indicate they are happy to ignore and erase their past.
More About: TV Shows