Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a Warner Bros. Discovery-owned animated content brand operating a cable channel in 160+ countries plus streaming on HBO Max, Disney+, Hulu, and Prime Video, serving children, families, and adult animation audiences with franchises like Adventure Time and Scooby-Doo.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersAtlanta, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Cartoon Network does
Cartoon Network is a cable television channel and streaming brand founded in 1992 by Ted Turner as part of Turner Broadcasting System, currently owned by Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD). The brand operates in more than 91 million U.S. households and approximately 160 countries, with regional operations including Cartoon Network India (launched 1995 as India's first dedicated children's channel). Its core product is animated entertainment content produced by Cartoon Network Studios, Warner Bros. Animation, and the Adult Swim sub-brand, spanning children's programming (Adventure Time, Regular Show, Powerpuff Girls, Scooby-Doo) and mature-audience animation (Supermutant Magic Academy). Distribution occurs across WBD-owned linear cable carriage and HBO Max streaming, third-party streaming platforms (Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video, Netflix, Tubi), international broadcast partnerships, and gaming crossovers such as the Epic Games/Fortnite Ben-10 collaboration.
Cartoon Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cartoon Network
- Website
- https://cartoonnetworkindia.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Cartoon Network is a Warner Bros. Discovery-owned animated content brand operating a cable channel in 160+ countries plus streaming on HBO Max, Disney+, Hulu, and Prime Video, serving children, families, and adult animation audiences with franchises like Adventure Time and Scooby-Doo.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cartoon Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Animation Entertainment
- NAICS
- Television Broadcasting Stations (51612)
- SIC
- Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Kids’ General Entertainment Channels (Ages 6–11) (MPABAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Animated Series Production (TV/Streaming) (MPADACAG), Adult Animation Production (MPADACAK)
Keywords
Where Cartoon Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Cartoon Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Cartoon Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cartoon Network is a 24-hour cable television channel and streaming brand dedicated to animated programming for children, families, and adults, currently reaching more than 91 million U.S. homes and over 160 countries worldwide. It produces, distributes, and licenses original animated series and films through its in-house Cartoon Network Studios, and monetizes this content via cable/streaming distribution, advertising sales, intellectual property licensing (merchandise, games, toys), and production partnerships with third-party studios.
Product overview
Cartoon Network is a television channel and entertainment brand offering animated content across multiple distribution platforms including its linear TV channel, streaming on HBO Max, and partnerships with Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, and Tubi. The portfolio includes original productions (Adventure Time franchise, Regular Show, Powerpuff Girls, Over the Garden Wall) and co-productions (Supermutant Magic Academy, Conan the Barbarian). Content spans children's animation and Adult Swim programming, with distribution through Warner Bros. Discovery's own platforms and third-party streaming services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Adult Swim: Nighttime programming block and brand under Cartoon Network targeting adult audiences with mature animation content.
Products and services
- Cartoon Network 24-hour cable television channel and streaming brand dedicated to animated programming for children, families, and young adults; distributed via cable/satellite providers, HBO Max, and digital platforms, currently reaching 91+ million U.S. homes and 160+ countries.
- Adult Swim Nighttime programming block and sub-brand under Cartoon Network targeting adult audiences with mature animated content such as Supermutant Magic Academy.
- Adventure Time Franchise Major animated franchise including the original series and multiple spin-offs (Fionna and Cake, Distant Lands, Side Quests, Bubblegum and Marceline), forming an interconnected universe of animated content distributed across HBO Max, Disney+, and Hulu.
- Regular Show Original animated comedy series (2010-2017, 8 seasons, 244 episodes) revived under 'The Lost Tapes' title with 40 additional episodes planned, created by J.G. Quintel.
- Scooby-Doo Franchise Long-running animated franchise spanning multiple series, films, and now a new anime series co-produced with OLM (Oriental Light and Magic).
- Over the Garden Wall Critically acclaimed animated miniseries from 2014, receiving its first-ever Blu-ray release in April 2025.
- Supermutant Magic Academy Adult Swim animated series adapting Jillian Tamaki's Eisner Award-winning 2015 comic, co-produced with Studio IAM for visual refinement.
- Powerpuff Girls Classic Cartoon Network animated franchise with legacy rights and ongoing IP exploitation for licensing, merchandise, and new productions.
Companies that use Cartoon Network
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cartoon Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cartoon Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Prime VideocoreGenndy Tartakovsky's Conan the Barbarian animated series is being developed in partnership with Cartoon Network Studios and Prime Video, revealed at Annecy Studio Focus event hosted by Warner Bros. Animation and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe.
- Xilam AnimationminorXilam's animated series Submarine Jim secured broadcast deals with Cartoon Network across Latin America and South East Asia. The show was also showcased at Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
- Epic GamescoreEpic Games and Cartoon Network announced an official Ben-10 crossover collaboration for Fortnite, featuring Ben Tennyson with alien transformations from the Omnitrix device. The partnership marks expanded Cartoon Network IP presence in gaming.
- OLM (Oriental Light and Magic)coreWarner Bros. Animation and OLM are co-producing Yokoso Scooby-Doo!, the franchise's first anime series. The project evolved from an earlier concept called Go-Go Mystery Machine that was set up at Cartoon Network. OLM is the studio behind Pokémon anime productions.
- NetflixminorI Am Frankelda, originally developed as a series concept for Cartoon Network Latin America, was acquired by Netflix for worldwide distribution after development by sibling filmmakers Roy and Arturo Ambriz. Guillermo del Toro assisted with editing.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cartoon Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Nickelodeon: Paramount Global's flagship children's cable channel and animation brand. Nickelodeon competes head-to-head with Cartoon Network for the same 6–11 demographic with a comparable slate of original animated series, global distribution, and merchandise licensing programs.
- Disney Channel: The Walt Disney Company's flagship children's cable channel and streaming brand. Disney Channel competes directly with Cartoon Network for kids and family audiences using original animated and live-action series, supported by Disney's broader IP ecosystem.
- PBS Kids: PBS's children's programming brand operating across linear TV and a leading free streaming app. PBS Kids is a directly comparable children's educational/entertainment channel targeting overlapping family demographics in the U.S.
- Universal Kids: NBCUniversal's children's cable channel (formerly Sprout) carrying animated and live-action programming. Universal Kids targets the same children and family segment with comparable distribution through pay-TV providers.
- Discovery Kids: A sibling WBD-operated children's channel brand with overlapping factual and animated programming for kids. It is structurally comparable to Cartoon Network as a sister cable channel within the same parent conglomerate.
Broad incumbents
- DreamWorks Animation: Animation film and series studio within Universal, producing kids animated franchises comparable to Cartoon Network Studios' slate. Operates across theatrical, streaming (Peacock), and linear TV.
- Illumination: Universal's animated film studio behind franchises like Despicable Me and The Secret Life of Pets. Comparable to Cartoon Network Studios/Warner Bros. Animation as a producer of mass-market animated entertainment IP.
- Disney+ / Hulu (Kids & Family): Disney's flagship streaming platforms, which now carry Adventure Time: Side Quests following HBO Max's reduction of kids animation. Operate as both competitor and distribution partner for Cartoon Network IP.
- Netflix (Kids & Family programming): Global streaming incumbent that has become a major buyer and producer of children's animation, including acquiring I Am Frankelda originally developed for Cartoon Network Latin America. Competes for the same kids audience via subscription streaming rather than cable.
Emerging players
- Frederator Networks: Independent animation network and studio (creator of Cartoon Hangover on YouTube) with roots in alternative children's and adult animation. Comparable as a smaller, digitally native producer of original animation IP targeting overlapping kid/young-adult audiences.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cartoon Network social profiles
Digital presenceCartoon Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cartoon Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Cartoon Network subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Cartoon Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cartoon Network M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cartoon Network
What does Cartoon Network do?
Cartoon Network is a 24-hour cable television channel and streaming brand dedicated to animated programming for children, families, and adults, currently reaching more than 91 million U.S. homes and over 160 countries worldwide. It produces, distributes, and licenses original animated series and films through its in-house Cartoon Network Studios, and monetizes this content via cable/streaming distribution, advertising sales, intellectual property licensing (merchandise, games, toys), and production partnerships with third-party studios.
Is Cartoon Network a public or private company?
Cartoon Network is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Cartoon Network founded?
Cartoon Network was founded in 1992. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Cartoon Network based?
Cartoon Network is headquartered in Atlanta, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Cartoon Network's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS Kids, Universal Kids and Discovery Kids. Broad incumbents are DreamWorks Animation, Illumination, Disney+ / Hulu (Kids & Family) and Netflix (Kids & Family programming). Frederator Networks is listed as an emerging player.
Does Cartoon Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cartoon Network.
What industry is Cartoon Network in?
Cartoon Network's product category is Children's Animation Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABAKAB, Kids’ General Entertainment Channels (Ages 6–11), with a secondary code of MPADACAG, Animated Series Production (TV/Streaming). Its NAICS code is 51612 and its SIC code is 4841.