Fans of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and the rest of the Looney Tunes gang have been left without a streaming home to watch their favorite toon pals. Max has quietly removed the original Looney Tunes animated shorts -- produced between 1930 and 1969 during animation's golden age -- from its streaming lineup.
This news comes as Warner Bros. Animation brings Looney Tunes back to theaters with The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. The film stars Daffy Duck and Porky Pig as they attempt to save Earth from an alien scheme, marking the first fully animated theatrical Looney Tunes feature based on original material. While it showcases these beloved characters for modern audiences, it makes the absence of their classic cartoon origins on streaming platforms all the more noticeable.
Finding a comprehensive collection of these cartoons is harder than ever since no single streaming service offers the complete library. Instead, you'll have to piece together access through various platforms. Some streamers offer partial collections, while others offer spin-offs. Here's where you can still find some of the Looney Tunes cartoons now that Max has dropped them.
Which Looney Tunes cartoons are still on Max?
Max has removed the remaining 255 original Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies short cartoons that were airing on the service. The streaming service once aired all 511 shorts but previously scrubbed 256 other Looney Tunes cartoons back at the end of 2022 when their licenses expired.
Several more modern Looney Tunes spin-offs are still available on Max, including:
While these shows are quite similar to Looney Tunes, they can't quite replace the originals.
Where can you watch original Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons now?
If you want to watch the classic Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons, your options remain limited. Official compilations can be found on YouTube, but that's not the same as watching the original What's Opera, Doc? or Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century.
Physical media collections like DVD and Blu-ray box sets will be the most comprehensive way to access these cartoons for now, with Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes Golden Collection and Platinum Collection serving up curated selections with restored picture and sound.
Select cartoons might also appear on cable networks during special programming blocks, but not in marathon form or in a way that would help you see every single cartoon.
For now, these are your best bets for streaming Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons.
When will The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie come to streaming services?
If you're interested in seeing the newest Looney Tunes film right now, you'll have to settle for the theater. But if you want to watch it at home, it'll eventually make its streaming debut.
There isn't a date for when you can check it out on streaming just yet. But you can expect it to hit Blu-ray and DVD on May 27. That should likely mean its streaming options will open up around then too.