Boomerang Streaming Service Coming for Animation

Boomerang logo

I applaud Warner Bros. for embracing the streaming market. For those who can’t or won’t pay inflated cable TV prices, Warner has created services like FilmStruck (by TCM) to bring content to subscribers directly. Now they’ve got one for animation fans.

Boomerang (also the name of one of their cartoon cable networks) will launch later this spring as a domestic premium video subscription service from Warner Bros. and Time Warner’s Turner. The “massive Hanna-Barbera, Looney Tunes, and MGM animation library of over 5,000 titles” will be available to stream on the web or via iOS and Android devices, with Roku and Apple TV to follow sometime after launch. (Personally, I like watching TV on TV, so while it’s nice to have video programming on my iPad, I don’t seriously consider subscribing to a service unless it has Roku support.)

It’s ad-free for $4.99/month or $39.99 for a year’s subscription, US viewers only. In addition to “timeless franchises like Scooby Doo, Tom & Jerry, Bugs Bunny, the Jetsons, and the Flintstones”, Boomerang will have brand-new original series, including

Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, an uplifting comedic fantasy series that transports audiences to the magical land of Oz and follows the ruby slipper adventures of its brave and feisty princess protagonist, and Wacky Races, a full-engine overhaul of the Hanna-Barbera classic series that takes viewers on a ride filled with zany slapstick comedy, high-octane thrills, and exotic locales around the world.

Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz

Wacky Races

The service will offer family profiles (which I assume means that an older fan’s watchlist can be different from her kid’s), the ability to download-to-go, recommendations, and interactive features. However, don’t expect some of the no-longer-appropriate older cartoons: “all episodes are pre-screened to make sure they’re age appropriate.” If you go to the website, you can sign up for a prelaunch mailing list to be notified when the service is available.



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