Cartoon Network (Australia and New Zealand) — BrandWiki
Cartoon Network (Australia and New Zealand)
Cartoon Network Australia is an Australian pay television channel broadcast as a local feed of its American counterpart.It was launched on 3 October 1995, and is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery Asia-Pacific. It primarily shows animated programming.
The channel began broadcasting as a part of the Cartoon Network Asia service on 30 June 1995. It was later separated from the broader pan-Asian service on 3 October 1995.
History
Cartoon Network started its broadcast in Australia in 1995 as the dual-channel TNT & Cartoon Network as part of the Foxtel cable TV launch, operating from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm, with Turner Classic Movies (formerly TNT) taking the remainder of the daily schedule.It also joined Optus Vision, with the provider signing a carriage contract in late June 1995.[1]
On 1 July 1997, Cartoon Network Australia became a separate 24-hour channel.
It originally aired only Hanna-Barbera cartoons such as Yogi Bear, Top Cat, The Flintstones etc. The channel quickly started to develop though, airing for the first time MGM cartoons (Tom and Jerry, Droopy, and Spike and Tyke) on 1 January 1996, and (after Time Warner's purchase of Turner in 1996) Warner Bros. shows (Looney Tunes, and several other Looney Tunes related cartoons) on 1 January 1997.
In mid-1997, Cartoon Network started to air its first original shows (Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Dexter's Laboratory and The Moxy Show).
At the time, it was added to Northgate Communications in Ballarat.[2]
Cartoon Network came to NZ in 1997, broadcasting on Sky's UHF service until 2000 between 6 am and 4 pm.
In April 2004, the channel was added to TransTV.[3] Cartoon Network had, up until mid-2004, been tied with Disney Channel as Australia's most popular family network.The removal of older programming from the network during this period led to a fall in average audience share during 2004 as fans of older cartoons moved to Boomerang.Cartoon Network had slipped to second spot among Australian family networks behind Disney Channel.[4]
In February 2008, Adult Swim relaunched on The Comedy Channel airing shows such as Robot Chicken and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law. The network transitioned to a widescreen format presentation on 30 November 2010, ahead of a deadline by Foxtel to do so.
On 7 February 2017, Cartoon Network Australia announced an exclusive video on-demand content deal with the streaming service Stan.As part of the deal, episodes from some shows such as Adventure Time and The Powerpuff Girls premiered on Stan at the same time as the Cartoon Network Australia channel.[5]
For Māori Language Week 2018, the channel aired episodes of We Bare Bears in the language; renowned actor Temuera Morrison voiced Grizz.[6]
On 22 April 2021, the channel was discontinued on Fetch TV, alongside its sister channel Boomerang.[7] Its removal led to a campaign initiated by Fetch upon losing its rights, later justifying the accessibility of CNN content on its official website.After that date, the channels were exclusive to Foxtel.[8]
The channel, along with Boomerang, closed in Australia on 13 May 2025 after the removal from Foxtel.[9] Regarding the closure of the channel, a Warner Bros. Discovery spokesperson stated "The Cartoon Network and Boomerang channels have now closed. This much-loved content is now available on our streaming service HBO Max, which Foxtel subscribers have included in their subscription".[10]
Cartoon Network, along with CNN, returned to Australia and New Zealand via Fetch TV on 1 November 2025.[11]
The channel was removed from Sky in New Zealand on December 2, 2025.[12]
Programming
Logo history
Program blocks
Current
Cartoonito
Cartoonito launched on 4 July 2022; a Cartoonito Play Zone was held at Federation Square between 7 and 9 July, as a launch event.[13][14]
Cartoonito
Cartoonito launched on 4 July 2022; a Cartoonito Play Zone was held at Federation Square between 7 and 9 July, as a launch event.[13][14]
Former
Adult Swim
A time block suited for mature audience, targeting adults at least 17 years old and above. The anime block aired from Monday to Thursday and started at 10:00pm and ended at 12:00am. The comedy block aired on Fridays and Saturdays and started at 10:30 pm and ended at 12:00 am with an encore till 1:30. Before the block was ceased Squidbillies also premiered with a special disclaimer about the content, as did most of the anime.
Prior to its removal for strategic reasons, the Australian feed was one in the Asia-Pacific region to have this block. This block is currently shown on The Comedy Channel with Harvey Birdman and Aqua Teen Hunger Force as well as the premiere of Robot Chicken and Moral Orel. Most of the anime that previously aired on Adult Swim now air on the Sci Fi Channel with its own anime block.
Madman Entertainment has also been releasing Adult Swim DVD in region 4 starting with Aqua Teen, Harvey Birdman and Robot Chicken in 2007.It has since released most volumes of every series that has a DVD, including future releases.[15]
Toonami
Toonami was launched on Cartoon Network Australia on 7 July 2001
Adult Swim
A time block suited for mature audience, targeting adults at least 17 years old and above. The anime block aired from Monday to Thursday and started at 10:00pm and ended at 12:00am. The comedy block aired on Fridays and Saturdays and started at 10:30 pm and ended at 12:00 am with an encore till 1:30. Before the block was ceased Squidbillies also premiered with a special disclaimer about the content, as did most of the anime.
Prior to its removal for strategic reasons, the Australian feed was one in the Asia-Pacific region to have this block. This block is currently shown on The Comedy Channel with Harvey Birdman and Aqua Teen Hunger Force as well as the premiere of Robot Chicken and Moral Orel. Most of the anime that previously aired on Adult Swim now air on the Sci Fi Channel with its own anime block.
Madman Entertainment has also been releasing Adult Swim DVD in region 4 starting with Aqua Teen, Harvey Birdman and Robot Chicken in 2007.It has since released most volumes of every series that has a DVD, including future releases.[15]
Toonami
Toonami was launched on Cartoon Network Australia on 7 July 2001[16] as an outlet for action animation.Most of its lineup consisted of anime, including already popular shows such as Dragon Ball Z, as well as the Australian premiere of Cardcaptors and exclusives such as Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and YuYu Hakusho.Occasionally it also broadcast action cartoons from the United States such as Batman Beyond.[17]
On its launch, Toonami broadcast on Saturday evenings from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm and on Sunday afternoons from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Each day's programming was repeated in the Toonami "Late Run" from 11:00 pm to 1:00 am. Toonami soon expanded to weekdays, and for a number of years could be seen seven days a week. Although time-slots varied, the main Toonami block remained on weekday afternoons; in 2005 it was airing weeknights from 6.00 pm, with mini-marathons playing on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Boomerang
Prior to becoming a standalone channel on March 14, 2004, Boomerang was its own block dedicated to older Hanna-Barbera cartoons launched in 13 May 1995.
Cartoon Network's sister TV channel Boomerang was originally a Cartoon Network block for the lesser-known Hanna-Barbera classic cartoons that didn't already have regular half-hour slots. It began in April 2001 as a morning block airing at 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, but in August 2001 also aired as an hour-long mini-block in Cartoon Network After Dark. The shows on Boomerang changed randomly every week, for both the morning and the evening block. The Boomerang blocks had bumpers which featured children's toys of characters in Hanna-Barbera cartoons coming to life, identical to the Boomerang bumpers used in the United States. These bumpers were sometimes also used on the TV channel. The evening block last aired in March 2002, and the morning block last aired in September 2004. However late-night airings of Boomerang on Cartoon Network continued until early 2005, when the Boomerang channel received a face-lift. In late 2012, it received the looks of Boomerang's UK feed.
Occasionally it also broadcast action cartoons from the United States such as Batman Beyond.[17]
On its launch, Toonami broadcast on Saturday evenings from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm and on Sunday afternoons from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Each day's programming was repeated in the Toonami "Late Run" from 11:00 pm to 1:00 am. Toonami soon expanded to weekdays, and for a number of years could be seen seven days a week. Although time-slots varied, the main Toonami block remained on weekday afternoons; in 2005 it was airing weeknights from 6.00 pm, with mini-marathons playing on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
In August 2006, Toonami was dropped from the Cartoon Network schedule. Former Toonami programming, and new programming that would have previously gone to Toonami is now spread out across the network's other time-slots.
Boomerang
Prior to becoming a standalone channel on March 14, 2004, Boomerang was its own block dedicated to older Hanna-Barbera cartoons launched in 13 May 1995.
Cartoon Network's sister TV channel Boomerang was originally a Cartoon Network block for the lesser-known Hanna-Barbera classic cartoons that didn't already have regular half-hour slots. It began in April 2001 as a morning block airing at 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, but in August 2001 also aired as an hour-long mini-block in Cartoon Network After Dark. The shows on Boomerang changed randomly every week, for both the morning and the evening block. The Boomerang blocks had bumpers which featured children's toys of characters in Hanna-Barbera cartoons coming to life, identical to the Boomerang bumpers used in the United States. These bumpers were sometimes also used on the TV channel. The evening block last aired in March 2002, and the morning block last aired in September 2004. However late-night airings of Boomerang on Cartoon Network continued until early 2005, when the Boomerang channel received a face-lift. In late 2012, it received the looks of Boomerang's UK feed.
In August 2006, Toonami was dropped from the Cartoon Network schedule. Former Toonami programming, and new programming that would have previously gone to Toonami is now spread out across the network's other time-slots.
