Skip to main content

Hulu nabs exclusive rights to Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, TNT, and TBS

hulu to offer cartoon network tnt one the street aqua teen hunger force 74240 1920 1537
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Today, Hulu gets a little bit funnier. The online video service announced it has acquired the exclusive rights to past seasons of Turner Broadcasting-owned shows on Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and TBS, as well as select content from the more serious fare offered by TNT.

This new multi-year deal gives Hulu Plus subscribers streaming access to cartoon hits like Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Robot Chicken and The Amazing World of Gumball. It also broadens Hulu’s live-action offerings, including TNT’s The Last Ship and Murder in the First, as well as offering access to future series from TBS and TNT.

The deal particularly sweetens Hulu’s Kids selection, especially considering Cartoon Network’s vast catalog. Hulu Kids will host Cartoon Network programming, which will stream without advertising.

“The addition of multiple titles from Cartoon Network represents a significant step forward in continuing to build a strong programming offering for the kids audience on Hulu,” said Hulu senior VP head of content Craig Erwich to AdAge.

As for Time Warner-owned Turner, the deal opens up a new online revenue stream for the content creator, which had previously licensed the channels to Netflix in 2013.

“This is a great opportunity to grow the reach of the networks’ original programming and complements our strategy of utilizing multiple platforms — including SVOD — to drive sampling, introduce new viewers to our content and give current fans the opportunity to explore and enjoy Turner’s new and existing series in a branded environment,” said president of Turner Broadcasting David Levy in a statement.

The deal is certainly a win for Hulu, strengthening its offerings as the service continues to compete with Netflix and Amazon Prime. At just 6 million paid subscribers, Hulu currently lags significantly behind Netflix (over 61 million subscribers) and Amazon Prime (50 million subscribers).

The new titles will be available to stream on Hulu beginning May 1st.

Editors' Recommendations

Chris Leo Palermino
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Chris Leo Palermino is a music, tech, business, and culture journalist based between New York and Boston. He also contributes…
The best movies on Amazon Prime Video (April 2024)
Ritu Arya and Priya Kansara in Polite Society.

Things are admittedly slow on Amazon Prime Video during the final weekend of April. Fortunately, the martial arts action comedy Polite Society should be able to bring you some excitement this weekend. Romantic comedy fans can also check out How to Date Billy Walsh, a film that has entered the list of the top 10 most popular movies on Prime Video.

If neither of these films are for you, don't worry. This roundup of the best movies on Amazon Prime Video has something for just about everyone. And on May 1, a whole new batch of movies will arrive, with even more to come as we inch closer to summer.

Read more
The 50 best movies on Netflix right now (April 2024)
Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney in Anyone But You.

Netflix couldn't have asked for a better late April gift than the streaming premiere of Anyone But You. Thanks to Netflix's deal with Sony, 2024's blockbuster rom-com is already on top of the list of the most popular movies on Netflix, leaving Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver in second place. But things could be much worse for Rebel Moon – Part Two, which is performing well a week after its debut.

The other new addition for the week is King Richard, a sports drama starring Will Smith that's appearing on loan from Warner Bros. Discovery. It's also one of Netflix's top movies of the week, which suggests that the film may find sustained popularity on this platform that it didn't get on Max.

Read more
The 50 best shows on Netflix in April 2024
The cast of Dead Boy Detectives.

For the final weekend of April, Netflix has debuted one last original show for the month: Dead Boy Detectives. This series was a bit of a gamble because it was dropped by Max. And it might be humiliating for the Warner Bros. Discovery regime if Dead Boy Detectives goes from being a castoff to a breakout hit. Netflix may be able to create lighting in a bottle, but it doesn't always work out, as exemplified by the disappointing performance of the resurrected Girls5eva earlier this year.

The other new addition this week is White Collar, a forbearer of Suits on the USA Network that ended 10 years ago. All six seasons of White Collar are now available, and it's already one of the most popular shows on Netflix. If White Collar can come anywhere close to the success that Suits has had on Netflix, then we can probably expect to see more shows like this in the future.

Read more