To cash into the now popular market of paid streaming, entertainment icons Time Warner’s Turner and Warner Bros. have now officially introduced Boomerang, a subscription-based streaming services which allows you to surf through a catalog of over 5000 cartoons at just $5 per month. The collection includes both the current series as well as timeless classics from the library of Warner Bros, including the likes of Hanna-Barbera, Looney Tunes and MGM animation like “Tom & Jerry,” “The Flintstones,” “Scooby Doo,” “The Jetsons,” “Bugs Bunny,” and more.
The service was first unveiled in March, where it promised a humongous catalog, however, the launch only displays a limited selection. The website’s FAQ proclaims that they currently have 1000 episodes available for streaming and and several others will be added on a weekly basis. Some of the favorites like “The Flintstones” and “The Jetsons,” are yet to arrive.
Boomerang may have to face some strict competition from other subscription based services. Leading streaming services of the era like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu are already serving kid-friendly shows, spanning blockbuster movies, licensed TV shows, along with an assortment of original programs developed specifically for kids. Nickelodeon has its own streaming service “Nogin” whereas HBO has “Sesame Street.”
The service largely relies on classic franchisees, however, it aims to presents its original contents as well, which includes Warner Bros.’ new series including Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz,” along with a repaired version of a Hanna-Barbera classic, “Wacky Races.”
Boomerang has announced that it will be incorporating features like personalized recommendations, family profiles and offline viewing via downloads into its service along with a feature of Spanish-language audio. Such features have now become synonymous with subscription based streaming. The recent launch of the website just presents a general catalog of shows, over a dozen movies and few customized playlists.
The technology powering the service has been designed by DramaFever, which is a Warner Bros. Digital Networks company. Meanwhile, animation enthusiasts are already well aware of this name as it is taken from the popular cable television channel, Boomerang TV, which aired similar (not identical) thread of cartoon series.
As far as the costs are concerned, if the $4.99 per month option is too much for you, you may avail the alternative of $39.99 per year, which brings down the pricing roughly up to $3 per month, which sounds more reasonable for a limited selection as such.
Boomerang is launched in the U.S. and could be availed on the web, iOS and Android for now, however, the company is planning to expand it to Amazon, Roku, Chromecast, and Apple TV soon.
