Sunil Bharti led Airtel on Monday announced the expansion of its entertainment portfolio with the launch of Airtel Cartoon Network Classics, an exclusive, ad-free linear channel priced at ₹59 per month across its Digital TV and IPTV platforms.
The channel, launched in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, will feature popular legacy animation titles from Cartoon Network, including Tom and Jerry, Looney Tunes, Scooby Doo, The Flintstones and Johnny Bravo.
Airtel on the collaboration
“The collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery adds to Airtel’s increasing array of value-added entertainment services, underscoring its commitment to providing high-quality, distinctive, and family-friendly content,” Airtel said.
The move highlights Airtel’s strategy to bolster it’s Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) in its DTH and IPTV business by offering differentiated, premium content.
“Airtel Cartoon Network Classics adds a unique entertainment layer to our portfolio and offers customers a chance to reconnect with iconic stories and characters that are loved even today. We are pleased to make this channel available to all our DTH & IPTV users and look forward to bringing more such curated experiences to our customers,” Pushpinder Singh Gujral, DTH-Business Head, Airtel said.
Warner Bros. Discovery on the partnership
From Warner Bros. Discovery’s perspective, the partnership allows it to monetise its library of legacy intellectual property in India through a traditional distribution channel, while maintaining relevance among younger audiences.
“Through our collaboration with Airtel, we are pleased to bring these iconic favourites to Indian screens in a new and accessible format, enabling fans to reconnect with cherished childhood memories while introducing a new generation to the original cartoons that helped shape global pop culture,” Arjun Nohwar, Managing Director, South Asia, Warner Bros. Discovery said.
For Airtel, the launch aligns with a broader push to strengthen its non-core digital services, spanning television, broadband, and content aggregation.
Subscribers can activate the channel via their set-top box, the Airtel Thanks app or through a missed-call option.
