American cable television channel
Television channel
Boomerang
Logo used since 2015
|
Country
| United States
|
---|
Broadcast area
| Nationwide
|
---|
Network
| Cartoon Network
(1992?2004)
|
---|
Headquarters
| |
---|
|
Language(s)
|
- English
- Spanish
(with
SAP
; a Spanish language simulcast of the channel is also available)
|
---|
Picture format
| |
---|
|
Owner
| Warner Bros. Discovery Networks
|
---|
Parent
| The Cartoon Network, Inc.
|
---|
Sister channels
| |
---|
|
Launched
|
- December 8, 1992
; 31 years ago
(
1992-12-08
)
(block)
- April 1, 2000
; 24 years ago
(
2000-04-01
)
(channel)
- April 11, 2017
; 7 years ago
(
2017-04-11
)
(internet subscription service)
|
---|
Closed
| October 3, 2004
; 19 years ago
(
2004-10-03
)
(block)
|
---|
Former names
| Boomerang from Cartoon Network (2000?2015)
|
---|
|
Website
| www
.boomerang
.com
|
---|
Boomerang
is an American
cable television
network
owned by
Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Networks
, a subsidiary of
Warner Bros. Discovery
.
A spin-off of
Cartoon Network
, the channel primarily broadcasts animated programming from the
Warner Bros. Animation
library, including
Warner Bros. Cartoons
and
Hanna-Barbera
productions among others, as well as contemporary
reboots
of classic franchises. From time to time, the channel has also broadcast reruns of
Cartoon Network original series
.
Boomerang debuted in 1992 as a
programming block
on Cartoon Network, dedicated to classic animation from the WB library, and was eventually spun-off into its own separate network in 2000. In the late 2000s, Boomerang began airing more modern and contemporary programming, including reruns of shows that had previously aired on Cartoon Network.
A 2015 relaunch (which aimed to promote Boomerang as a "second flagship" brand alongside Cartoon Network) saw Boomerang begin to produce its own original programming, with a focus on reboots of franchises such as
Looney Tunes
and
Scooby-Doo
. In 2017, Boomerang launched a
subscription video on-demand
over-the-top
streaming
service.
As of September 2018
[update]
, Boomerang is available to approximately 38 million pay television households in the United States.
[1]
History
Turner Broadcasting System
built up an extensive catalogue of MGM and early Warner Brothers cartoons in the 1980s. These made up much of the extensive
children's programming on TBS and TNT
, which was phased out after the creation of the
Cartoon Network
on October 1, 1992.
Boomerang
was created as a new home for these and similar cartoons. It originated as a programming block on Cartoon Network that debuted on December 8, 1992. It originally aired for four hours every weekend, but the block's start time had changed frequently. The Saturday block moved to Saturday afternoons, then back to the early morning, and the Sunday block moved to Sunday evenings. Eventually, Boomerang was shortened by an hour, reducing it from four hours to three each weekend.
With Cartoon Network downplaying its archival programming in favor of newer original series, Turner Broadcasting System launched the Boomerang cable channel on April 1, 2000.
[2]
The Cartoon Network block continued to run under the new Boomerang channel branding until October 3, 2004.
On February 4, 2014, as part of Turner Broadcasting's 2014 upfronts, it was announced that Boomerang would become advertising-supported, and that there were plans to expand the brand globally.
[3]
[4]
In October 2014, Cartoon Network unveiled a global rebranding for Boomerang, which first launched in
Latin America
in late September, and arrived in the United States on January 19, 2015. Alongside the previously-announced plan to introduce advertising, the network planned to introduce original programming for the first time, and place a particular focus on the archive's most well-known franchises with an explicitly
family-friendly
approach. Turner executives described the changes as being an effort to grow Boomerang into a "second
flagship
" on par with the main Cartoon Network channel.
[5]
[6]
[7]
In 2017, an online Boomerang video-on-demand service was launched.
[8]
In 2018, 3rd Annual Shorty Social Good Awards nominated Boomerang and Captain Planet Foundation for Best in Entertainment.
[9]
[10]
May 2020 saw the launch of
HBO Max
, a general entertainment video-on-demand service from Boomerang's corporate parent that includes much of Boomerang's programming.
Programming
Historically, Boomerang avoided overt
channel drift
and, despite adding newer content to its library, continued to air programming from the breadth of its archives. By spring 2014, however, most of its archival programming had been relegated to
graveyard slots
, while the daytime schedule became dominated by programming from the 1990s and later. This policy underwent a partial reversal in April 2017, with a greater focus on shows from the 2010s, before older Cartoon Network series returned to Boomerang's schedule from January 2018 to May 2019, and again in half-hour time slots in September 2020.
Tom and Jerry
,
Looney Tunes
,
The Smurfs
, and various entries in the
Scooby-Doo
franchise have more or less had permanent places on the schedule since the rebrand, while previous network mainstays
The Flintstones
and
The Jetsons
returned in a
late-night
time slot in July 2018 before leaving again in November of that year.
In 2023, Boomerang began repairing a lot of their classic programing, with
Popeye the Sailor
,
Yogi Bear
,
Top Cat
,
Wacky Races
,
Jabberjaw
,
Jonny Quest
,
Wally Gator
,
Thundarr the Barbarian
, and the aforementioned
Flintstones
and
Jetsons
permanently returning to the lineup. Classic series from Cartoon Network were also reduced to three shows (namely
The Powerpuff Girls
,
Codename: Kids Next Door
, and
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
), as the newly-launched
Checkered Past
block on sister channel
Adult Swim
has become the exclusive home for reruns of former rebrand-era mainstays such as
Dexter's Laboratory
,
Ed, Edd n Eddy
,
Courage the Cowardly Dog
,
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
,
Cow and Chicken
,
I Am Weasel
, and
Evil Con Carne
.
Not all of the Warner Bros. animation library is exclusive to Boomerang. A portion of that library which includes series produced in collaboration with
Steven Spielberg
's
Amblin Entertainment
(including
Tiny Toon Adventures
and most of
Animaniacs
), as well as most works involving
Batman
and
Superman
(such as the
DC Animated Universe
), is put out for license to other networks; those properties most recently aired on the
Hub Network
from late 2012 until its closure in October 2014. In addition, Warner Bros.' collection of Christmas specials ? including the latter half of the
Rankin/Bass Productions
library ? is licensed to
AMC
for their
Best Christmas Ever
block as of 2018; those specials previously aired on
Freeform
and its predecessors for nearly 20 years, as part of their
25 Days of Christmas
lineup. In 2019, channel fixture
The Flintstones
was licensed out to
MeTV
;
[11]
in 2021, that network introduced morning blocks featuring a mix of Warner Bros. and
Paramount Global
content (including
Looney Tunes
/
Merrie Melodies
,
Popeye
,
Betty Boop
, and
MGM
theatrical shorts),
[12]
many of which still air on Boomerang. MeTV also acquired
The Jetsons
in that year.
[13]
Boomerang itself occasionally licenses programming from other distributors, such as with
The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show
(which aired from 2002-07 and later returned to the channel from 2011-13) and with
Garfield and Friends
(which aired for a brief time period in 2006 before returning to the network between September 2019 and August 2021).
Although Boomerang's original programming philosophy was to showcase classic cartoons, newer shows have been added in recent years, some even before the rebrand:
- From January to December 2012, new episodes of the
Italian
animated series
Puppy in My Pocket: Adventures in Pocketville
aired on the channel.
- Wedgies
, a series of animated interstitials that previously aired on Cartoon Network, were reintroduced in 2013.
- In December 2014, Boomerang added
Teen Titans Go!
and
The Amazing World of Gumball
to its lineup, alongside their airings on Cartoon Network; those shows left in April 2017.
- On May 2, 2022, Boomerang brought back reruns of
Teen Titans Go!
and
The Amazing World of Gumball
, and also added two additional modern Cartoon Network shows to their schedule:
Craig of the Creek
and
Total Dramarama
;
[14]
all four shows left on October 28.
- On June 28, 2015, Turner Broadcasting and Warner Bros. jointly announced that Boomerang would receive original programs such as
Wabbit
(later re-titled
New Looney Tunes
for its second season),
Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
, and an animated adaptation of
Bunnicula
.
[15]
- Throughout mid-2018, Boomerang added re-runs of modern Cartoon Network series to its lineup, including
Regular Show
,
[16]
Mighty Magiswords
,
[17]
Adventure Time
,
and
Steven Universe
.
[18]
Boomerang has been used to
burn off
programs acquired for Cartoon Network which have rated too low to remain on that network's schedule, much like
Nickelodeon
's spin-off
Nicktoons
and
TeenNick
. Boomerang also simulcasts some episodes of original Cartoon Network programming, mainly season or series premieres and finales.
Programming blocks
Because of Boomerang's fluid schedule, programming blocks used to air for a few months, then be removed from the schedule, only to be added again a few months later, until they were almost all phased out in late 2014, due to the network's rebrand.
Current
- Boomerang Theater
? Boomerang's movie showcase block.
Former blocks and other special events
- Boomeraction
? One of the first blocks to air on Boomerang,
[19]
its programming focused on action-adventure shows including
Thundarr the Barbarian
,
Teen Titans
,
Samurai Jack
,
SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron
,
The Pirates of Dark Water
,
Jonny Quest
,
The Secret Saturdays
,
Ben 10
(2005) and
Ben 10: Omniverse
. It was also one of the only Boomerang blocks to air across international feeds, including the
United Kingdom
,
Latin America
, and
Australia
versions of the network. The block was removed on June 1, 2014, as all programming from the block left the schedule.
- Boomerandom
? This block aired each weekend from 8 to 10 p.m. Eastern Time from 2008 to 2010, and featured two hours of episodes of a single program. The selected programs were picked by the "Boomerandom drawing machine".
- The Boomerang Christmas Party
? This block, which aired every December, features a collection of Hanna-Barbera Christmas specials (such as
The Powerpuff Girls: Twas the Fight Before Christmas
,
Yogi's First Christmas
,
Christmas Comes to Pac-Land
,
Casper's First Christmas
,
The Jetsons' First Christmas
and
The Flintstones' Christmas
).
- Boomerang Zoo
? This one-hour block featured pre-1970
Hanna-Barbera
/
Warner Bros.
television shorts, culled mainly from the H?B
talking animal
series (such as
Yogi Bear
,
Huckleberry Hound
,
Atom Ant
,
Magilla Gorilla
,
Snagglepuss
,
Wally Gator
, and
Pixie & Dixie and Mr. Jinks
). It was the only block to air on both the American and European versions of the channel after the 2004 rebranding of Boomerang Europe.
[20]
- Boomerock
? This block, which aired in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the premiere of
The Flintstones
in 2010, consisted of a marathon of the classic animated series.
- Boomeroyalty
(originally named
Character of the Month
from 2003 to 2012) ? This weekend mini-
marathon
of shows focuses on a particular character that changes every month, similar to the former
Super Chunk
block on sister network Cartoon Network. "Boomeroyalty" concluded on July 22, 2012.
- Captain Planet
? In observance of
Earth Day
, Boomerang aired a marathon of the animated series (which was produced by
Turner Program Services
) every year from 2005 to 2014. Continuing the tradition in a digital format, the network's streaming service offered the series in its entirety for a limited time in spring 2018.
- Mother's Day
? A recent marathon observance by Boomerang, on the holiday, the channel airs cartoons featuring mothers, such as Jane Jetson-focused episodes of
The Jetsons
, and Wilma Flintstone-focused episodes of
The Flintstones
.
- Pet of the Week
? This block showcases 2 hours of a single animated program, where the title character is an animal, such as
Courage the Cowardly Dog
,
The Garfield Show
, and
What's New, Scooby-Doo?
. Currently, the block has been reduced to 1 hour of a single program.
- Scooberang
? This continuous block featured every episode of each
Scooby-Doo
series (which were aired in chronological order), beginning with
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
. It also aired some feature-length
Scooby-Doo
films, including
Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers
and
Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island
. "Scooberang" no longer airs on Boomerang. However, various series iterations of the
Scooby-Doo
franchise air on the channel several times daily.
- Those Meddling Kids!
? This 90-minute block featured series produced by Hanna-Barbera and/or
Ruby-Spears
, all of which follow the formula of a group of mystery-solving teenagers or young adults (such as
Scooby-Doo
,
Josie and the Pussycats
,
Fangface
,
Clue Club
and
Speed Buggy
).
- Halloween block
? This block aired during the month of October, and included Halloween-themed programs such as
Scooby-Doo
,
Casper
,
The Addams Family
(in its live-action as well as animated incarnations),
Beetlejuice
,
The Funky Phantom
,
Goober and the Ghost Chasers
and
The Munsters
. This is notably the only time that Boomerang regularly aired any live-action programming, particularly as
The Addams Family
and
The Munsters
have aired on the channel each October since 2011. The Halloween programming replaced the annual Scooberang block in 2011 and aired again in 2012 and 2013; it was not brought back in 2014 when the channel began to change focus.
- Weeknights at 8:30
? Boomerang's primetime premiere block, which debuted in October 2015 and aired new episodes of
Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
,
The Garfield Show
,
Shaun the Sheep
,
DreamWorks Dragons
, and
Sonic Boom
. Following the block's closure in 2016, each show featured (sans
DreamWorks Dragons
) continued to air.
- Scoobtober
? For the whole of October 2020, this block aired every day from 1:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Eastern Time
and featured various installments of the
Scooby-Doo
franchise (including the network premiere of
Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?
).
[21]
Scooby-Doo
films were also shown under the
New Scooby Movies
banner, every Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. ET.
[22]
- Boomerang Family Feast
? Airing during the
Thanksgiving
weekend of 2020, this four-day marathon featured hour-long blocks of Boomerang's classic cartoons, including several programs that haven't aired regularly on the channel in years (such as
The Yogi Bear Show
,
The Magilla Gorilla Show
,
The Huckleberry Hound Show
,
Popeye the Sailor
,
Top Cat
,
The Jetsons
,
The Flintstones
,
Jonny Quest
, and
Josie and the Pussycats
).
[23]
[24]
- A Very Merry Jerry
? For the whole of December 2020, this block aired every day from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Eastern Time
and featured various installments of the
Tom and Jerry
franchise, as well as a different holiday special from Boomerang's library airing at 7:00 p.m. nightly. The movie slot previously featured direct-to-video
Tom and Jerry
films only, though they were later broadcast as part of an all-day marathon on
Christmas Day
.
Related services
Service
|
Description
|
Boomerang
HD
|
Boomerang is carried on a few pay television providers; tiering of the channel varies by service, with some operators offering it as either a basic-tier or higher-tier network. Most providers do not carry the linear channel, instead offering the network's
video-on-demand
service bundled with Cartoon Network. On March 4, 2019, the channel changed its default ratio to 16:9, with 4:3 content being aired stretched and the screen bug moving away from the 4:3 area, similar to what
Cartoon Network
did in May 2013. As of January 2020, Boomerang began to be carried in
high-definition
on several online television services, along with some cable providers through their apps.
|
Boomerang On Demand
|
The channel's
video-on-demand
service, offers select episodes of the channel's archived programming, along with select archived Cartoon Network original programs. Launched in 2005, it is available on select digital cable, satellite, and
IPTV
providers. In April 2013, Boomerang On Demand began to separate program content by "theme" (for example, in observance of
Mother's Day
, the service featured episodes of
The Flintstones
and
Dexter's Laboratory
focusing on Dexter's mom and
Wilma Flintstone
), but this method was scrapped in January 2015 due to the network's rebrand.
|
Boomerang Mobile App/SOVD
|
On March 7, 2017, Boomerang announced that it would launch an app that will feature programming from the 5000+ titles from its sister companies
Hanna-Barbera
and
Warner Bros
, as well as exclusive original programming.
[25]
The app launched on April 11, 2017, and is available either for $4.99 per month or $39.99 annually. New episodes and content are planned to be added weekly.
[26]
Currently, the Boomerang App is only available for subscription in the United States.
[27]
On November 13, 2018, the Boomerang service launched as a channel on the
VRV
streaming service.
[28]
It was later removed off VRV on December 1, 2020.
|
International
Boomerang, originally established as a
cable channel
in the United States, has expanded worldwide. Each of these networks was aligned globally in 2015 under one unified branding to reflect a family co-viewing network.
[29]
See also
References
- ^
Bucholtz, Andrew (September 10, 2018).
"Nielsen coverage estimates for September see gains at ESPN networks, NBCSN, and NBA TV, drops at MLBN and NFLN"
.
Archived
from the original on August 19, 2019
. Retrieved
July 28,
2019
.
- ^
KING, SUSAN (April 1, 2000).
"Hanna-Barbera Cartoons Return on New Boomerang"
.
Los Angeles Times
.
ISSN
0458-3035
.
Archived
from the original on May 11, 2011
. Retrieved
July 28,
2017
.
- ^
Theilman, Sam (February 4, 2014).
"Adult Swim Adds a Prime-Time Hour Edgy net will start at 8 p.m. instead of 9"
.
AdWeek
. Retrieved
February 4,
2014
.
- ^
"Turner expanding Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang offerings - SaportaReport"
.
SaportaReport
. February 4, 2014. Archived from
the original
on March 29, 2014
. Retrieved
July 28,
2017
.
- ^
Littleton, Cynthia (October 14, 2014).
"Turner Sets Global Relaunch of Boomerang to Focus on Family Viewing"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
October 14,
2014
.
- ^
Andreeva, Nellie (October 14, 2014).
"Turner Broadcasting's Boomerang Toon Channel Getting Revamp, Relaunch"
.
Deadline
. Retrieved
September 11,
2019
.
- ^
"Turner Relaunches Family-Focused Boomerang"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
. October 14, 2014
. Retrieved
September 11,
2019
.
- ^
Spangler, Todd (March 7, 2017).
"Turner, Warner Bros. to Launch Boomerang Cartoon Streaming-Subscription Service for $5 Monthly"
.
Variety
.
Archived
from the original on November 14, 2017
. Retrieved
November 10,
2017
.
- ^
"3rd Annual Shorty Social Good Awards Finalists"
.
shortyawards.com
.
- ^
"The Power Is Yours! Stream to Save the Planet - The Shorty Awards"
.
shortyawards.com
.
- ^
Malone, Michael (August 12, 2019).
"MeTV grabs The Flintstones"
.
Broadcasting & Cable
. Retrieved
August 12,
2019
.
- ^
"Advertise on WBBZ-TV, Your Hometown MeTV Station - WBBZ-TV"
. January 4, 2022.
- ^
MeTV Staff (February 6, 2021).
"The Jetsons are coming to MeTV this February!"
. Retrieved
March 20,
2021
.
- ^
"Boomerang TV Schedule (BOOM) - Movies, Shows, and Sports on Boomerang | Flixed"
. Archived from
the original
on April 27, 2022.
- ^
Petski, Denise (June 29, 2015).
"Turner Broadcasting & Warner Bros Ink Global Multi-Series Deal For Boomerang"
.
Deadline
. Retrieved
July 28,
2017
.
- ^
"TV Schedule for Boomerang HD - TV Passport"
. May 25, 2018. Archived from
the original
on May 25, 2018.
- ^
"TV Schedule for Boomerang HD - TV Passport"
. May 26, 2018. Archived from
the original
on May 26, 2018.
- ^
"TV Schedule for Boomerang HD - TV Passport"
. May 25, 2018. Archived from
the original
on May 25, 2018.
- ^
"Boomerang Schedule, December 2002 (Archive)"
. Cartoon Network. Archived from
the original
on December 1, 2002.
- ^
"Wally Gator Open (Boomerang Zoo Europe)"
. YouTube.
[
dead YouTube link
]
- ^
"Boomerang USA - Scooby-Doo - Scoobtober! Promo (Starting October 1, 2020)"
.
YouTube
. September 24, 2020.
Archived
from the original on December 22, 2021.
- ^
"Boomerang US - New Scooby Movies Everyday Promo (Scoobtober)"
.
YouTube
. September 29, 2020.
Archived
from the original on December 22, 2021.
- ^
"Boomerang US - Boomerang Family Feast Marathon Promo (Starts November 26th)"
.
YouTube
. November 19, 2020.
Archived
from the original on December 22, 2021.
- ^
"TV Schedule for Boomerang | TV Passport"
. November 21, 2020. Archived from
the original
on November 21, 2020
. Retrieved
November 27,
2020
.
- ^
Spangler, Todd (March 7, 2017).
"Turner, Warner Bros. to Launch Boomerang Cartoon Streaming-Subscription Service for $5 Monthly"
.
Variety
.
Archived
from the original on November 14, 2017
. Retrieved
July 28,
2017
.
- ^
Spangler, Todd (March 7, 2017).
"Turner, Warner Bros. to Launch Boomerang Cartoon Streaming-Subscription Service for $5 Monthly"
.
Variety
.
Archived
from the original on November 14, 2017
. Retrieved
November 10,
2017
.
- ^
"When is Boomerang coming to other countries?"
.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
About Jude Terror (November 13, 2018).
"Classic Cartoons Come to VRV Streaming Service on New Boomerang Channel"
. Bleedingcool.com
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
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. Retrieved
July 28,
2017
.
External links
|
---|
2000s debuts
|
- Boomerang-A-Long
(2000?15)
- Retromercials
(2000?14)
|
---|
2010s debuts
| |
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European
co-productions
| |
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Latin American
co-productions
| |
---|
See also
| |
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|
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Channels (U.S.)
| |
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Programs &
blocks (U.S.)
| |
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International
channels
|
- Americas
- EMEA & Poland
- Asia-Pacific
|
---|
Boomerang
|
- Americas
- EMEA & Poland
- Asia-Pacific
|
---|
Cartoonito
|
- Americas
- EMEA & Poland
- Asia-Pacific
|
---|
Studios
| |
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Streaming
| |
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Albums
| |
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Defunct
| |
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See also
| |
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Notes
| |
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|
|
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The Cartoon Network, Inc.
| |
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Entertainment Group
| |
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Lifestyle & Factual Group
| |
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Defunct and
former ventures
| TimeWarner/WarnerMedia
| |
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Discovery, Inc.
| |
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|
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|
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Toddlers and preschoolers
| |
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Youth and preteens
| |
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General audiences
| |
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Religious
| |
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Premium
| |
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Spanish language
| |
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Defunct
| |
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International
| |
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|
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|
Free
| |
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Rental and purchase
| |
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Others
| |
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Discontinued
| |
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