Tubi is set to release a massive catalog of Cartoon Network, Hanna-Barbera, and Warner Bros. animated shows, movies, and specials starting March 1st, including many titles HBO Max omitted. This move highlights Tubi's commitment to offering complete series, unlike HBO Max, which often lacked licenses for specials and films, providing a more comprehensive viewing experience for fans.
The Cartoon Network takeover by Tubi continues to impress, seemingly embarrassing HBO Max with its comprehensive offerings. Tubi is not only bringing a large collection of Cartoon Network shows but also movies and specials, many of which never made it to Max, and some that viewers may have forgotten or never seen before.
There has been some confusion regarding the availability of these shows. To clarify, the Cartoon Network, Hanna-Barbera, and Warner Bros. animated shows will officially arrive on Tubi on March 1st. This date is firm, and the content will not be available sooner or later. While this information was mentioned previously, it is understandable that details can be missed.
According to Tubi, the following titles will be available on March 1st:
In addition to these series, several movies and specials will also be available on March 1st:
These acquisitions significantly surpass what HBO Max has offered, primarily because Tubi is providing complete series. For instance, while Powerpuff Girls might have had a complete collection on Max for a brief period, Dexter's Lab Ego Trip and all the Ed, Edd n Eddy specials were notably absent from Max. This omission was due to separate licensing agreements for these specials, distinct from the main series.
This licensing nuance explains why Powerpuff Girls specials occasionally appeared on platforms like Netflix as standalone content, allowing them to offer a taste of the show without incurring the cost of licensing the entire main series. Despite being owned by the same parent company as Cartoon Network, HBO Max, even when it showed some interest in animation in 2020, did not prioritize acquiring the licenses for all specials and films to provide a complete viewing experience. They typically only included a few specials from the most popular shows.
The reason these specials often have separate licenses is that they were produced independently of the main season's production schedule. In the past, a network might decide to create a holiday special for a show even if its regular episodes were already locked in for the season. This led to these specials being produced as separate entities, distinct from the main series' licensing. While modern productions often integrate holiday specials directly into a show's episode order, this was not always the case, leading to the separate licensing agreements seen with many classic animated specials.
