Trademark registrations for MeTV Toons were first filed in March 2023, with originally considered names for the network being "Toon TV" or "Toony TV" (a name likely inspired by the mascot of the MeTV original program Toon In with Me, Toony the Tuna), as well as names of interstitials for the network such as 'Cartoon College' filed in December 2023.[6][7]
On May 1, 2024, Variety and TVLine reported Weigel was partnering with Warner Bros. Discovery on MeTV Toons, which was billed as a 24/7, free-to-air television network dedicated to broadcasting classic animated programming. TheDesk.net reported that Weigel was also working with Paramount Pictures, Amazon MGM Studios (The Pink Panther), Universal Pictures and a number of other content studios.[8]
The following day, Weigel officially announced the launch of the channel, which would take place on June 25. The channel launched with a marathon of the pilot episodes of all of its non-compilation shows, with the inaugural program at 6am Eastern/5am Central time being Captain Planet and the Planeteers.[9] The channel follows a similar format to the formative years of WBD's Cartoon Network and Boomerang.
Officials at Weigel announced ahead of the launch that they had planned to distribute MeTV Toons in three formats: as a broadcast channel available in many cities via over-the-air television and cable, as a streaming channel offered through subscription-based services, and as a 'complementary offering' for ad-supported streaming platforms.[4]
On June 18, 2025, it was announced that MeTV Toons would become available on DirecTV on both their satellite and streaming service.[11] The channel was added on June 30.[12]
The network runs original interstitial series which animation historian Jerry Beck helped produce. Bob Bergen, the current voice actor for Porky Pig, is the promotional announcer for the network.[14]
Sunday Night Cartoon All-Stars: An extended three-hour block airing Sundays from 8:00p.m. to 11:00p.m. ET, a successor to the Sunday Night Cartoons block on sister station MeTV+.[15]
House of Hanna-Barbera: A two-hour, late morning and early afternoon block, airing weekdays from 11:00a.m. to 1:00 p. m. ET, and Sundays from 1:00p.m. to 3:00 p. m. ET. The block showcases a variety of classic Hanna-Barbera animated shorts from the late 1950s and early 1960s, including the likes of Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Wally Gator, Secret Squirrel and Snagglepuss.
Scooby-Doo! Sunday Specials: An afternoon block airing Sundays from 3:00p.m. to 4:00p.m. ET, featuring various films and spin-off series from the Scooby-Doo franchise, that launched with a run of The New Scooby-Doo Movies.[15]
Rabbits, Ducks and No Turkeys!: A 15-hour marathon of theatrical Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons, headlined by Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, throughout Thanksgiving Day from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. EST. The animated short block was introduced on Thanksgiving Day in 2024.
Black (and White) Friday: Similar to Rabbits, Ducks and No Turkeys! (as seen above), this was also a 15-hour marathon of theatrical cartoons, this time focusing on Popeye, Betty Boop and black-and-white Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts (from 1931 to 1943), premiered the day after the Rabbits, Ducks and No Turkeys! marathon, Black Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. EST.
Easter Eggstravaganza: An Easter block which aired on Easter Sunday in April 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. EST, featuring 3 Easter specials: Baby Looney Tunes' Eggs-traordinary Adventure, The Smurfs Springtime Special, and Yogi the Easter Bear. Other Easter-themed cartoons that also aired on the block include the 1947 Looney Tunes short Easter Yeggs, the 1943 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short The Egg Cracker Suite and the 1958 Tom and Jerry short Happy Go Ducky, alongside further Easter-related shorts on the Sunday Night Cartoon All-Stars block.
Affiliates
The network is available on the following OTA stations as well as the paid streaming services Frndly TV and Philo.[4]
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