Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros.

It is the flagship property of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also oversees Boomerang, Cartoonito, Discovery Family, Adult Swim, and Toonami.

[8][9] Ted Turner selected Betty Cohen (then-Senior Vice President of TNT) to devise a network to house these programs.

[1] On February 18, 1992, Turner Broadcasting announced its plans to launch Cartoon Network as an outlet for an animation library.

In 1996, Cartoon Network aired two preschool programs: Big Bag, a live-action/puppet television program with animated short series produced by Children's Television Workshop, and Small World, which featured animated series aimed at preschoolers imported from foreign countries.

Cartoon Network's current original programming includes such shows as The Amazing World of Gumball and We Baby Bears.

In its early days, Cartoon Network benefited from having access to a large collection of animated programming, including the libraries of Warner Bros. (Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Tom and Jerry), Hanna-Barbera (The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, Snorks), and DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Justice League and Teen Titans).

Beginning as a division of Hanna-Barbera, this studio would produce some of the network's earliest original series, including Dexter's Laboratory, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel, Johnny Bravo, and The Powerpuff Girls.

2009 saw the introduction of CN Real, a block that featured live-action reality television series aimed towards a youth audience.

[21] They were introduced as part of an effort by new head Tom Ascheim to broaden Cartoon Network's demographic reach.

The network originally intended to include 12 shorts for its 2001 airing of the marathon (one of them part of the Censored Eleven list of Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes cartoons effectively shelved from distribution) that had become controversial for using ethnic and national stereotypes, albeit broadcasting them past midnight to ensure few children were watching, with introductions concerning their historic value as representatives of another time.

As a result, Adult Swim is treated by Nielsen as a separate channel in its ratings reports (similar to Nickelodeon's Nick at Nite block) and marketed as such because of its differing target demographics.

The 8 p.m. hour has frequently been returned to Cartoon Network for special programming events and premieres, typically during the fall-to-early-winter period.

[34] Additionally, movies are aired every Sunday under the ACME Night banner, which was first introduced in September 2021 during Cartoon Network's pivot toward family audiences.

Toonami's current incarnation is similar to that of "Midnight Run", a special version of the block that originally ran on Saturday nights and was the forerunner for Adult Swim.

The block is best known for its branding and aesthetic, including its animated host, a robot named TOM, that was later voiced by Steve Blum.

While the studio has produced many Cartoon Network series, shows such as Big Bag, Ed, Edd n Eddy, Mike, Lu & Og, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Sheep in the Big City, Codename: Kids Next Door, The Secret Saturdays, and Sunday Pants were all produced without its involvement.

Cartoon Network Studios has also produced shows for Adult Swim (alongside sister company Williams Street), Max, and Cartoonito.

The game was later released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the Wii as Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion XL.

[43] In its early years, small studios partnered with the network to produce exclusive "Web Premiere Toons", short cartoons made specifically for CartoonNetwork.com.

[44] More about animation was included in the "Department of Cartoons", which featured storyboards, episode guides, backgrounds, sound and video files, model sheets, production notes, and other information about shows on the network.

[48][49] On August 8, 2024, CartoonNetwork.com officially shut down and now redirects to the Cartoon Network channel hub of the streaming service Max.

[50][51] Gizmodo reported that this shutdown not only removes "an archive of clips" and "free access to series" but also the website "hosted years of beloved flash games relating to its shows.

Time Inc., the former subsidiary overseeing the magazines of the corporate parent, ensured favorable coverage of Cartoon Network and advertising space across its publications.

Rhino Entertainment, the former record label subsidiary of the corporate parent (which was spun off from Time Warner in 2004), distributed cassette tapes and CDs with Cartoon Network-related music.

Nestlé was granted a licensing agreement that resulted in a Wonder Ball chocolate candy tie-in with Cartoon Network characters and logos beginning in 2003.

[54] A new Wonder Ball promotion began in 2004 with characters from Ed, Edd n Eddy and exclusive Wonderball prizes and cToons on the Cartoon Orbit website.

Since the early 1990s and 2000s, the network has expanded to countries including Canada, Mexico, Latin America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Africa, and several Asia-Pacific regions.