The classic Looney Tunes animated shorts, which originally aired between 1930 and 1969, are no longer available for streaming on Max, according to Deadline reports. This move is part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s ongoing strategy to shift its focus away from children’s programming and towards content geared towards adults and families.

Although newer Looney Tunes series and spin-offs, such as New Looney Tunes and Baby Looney Tunes, remain available, the decision to remove the original shorts seems unusual, especially given the recent theatrical release of The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Story on March 14. Warner Bros. Discovery has a history of making decisions that are often criticized as ill-conceived and anti-art.

The original Looney Tunes were previously at risk of being removed from Max in 2023, when a press release listed the iconic animated shorts as being taken off the platform. However, Warner Bros. Discovery walked back that announcement, citing an error. It appears that plans have changed, and the company has decided to remove the shorts after all. While it may seem counterintuitive to remove content that Warner Bros. Discovery owns and doesn’t have to pay licensing fees for, the company has recently adopted a strategy of pulling shows and scrapping movie releases to cut costs and earn tax breaks. This approach is evident in the shelving of other Looney Tunes-related projects, such as Coyote vs. Acme and Batgirl.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s deprioritization of children’s programming on Max is not a new development. The company shutdown Boomerang, its streaming service for classic cartoons, in 2024. Additionally, Warner Bros. Discovery decided not to renew its distribution deal for Sesame Street last year. The company also removed around 200 old episodes of the show in 2022, which may have been an indication of the company’s waning interest in children’s programming.