Tubi Expands Library with Strategic Warner Bros. Discovery Licensing Deal
Los Angeles, Sunday, 15 February 2026.
Starting March 1, 2026, Fox’s Tubi secures 100 Warner Bros. titles, highlighting a major economic shift as streamers pivot from exclusivity to monetizing libraries through third-party licensing.
Unlocking the Vault: The “Cartoon Era” Begins
In a decisive move to bolster its content library, Tubi, the free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service owned by Fox Corporation, has confirmed a significant licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery. Confirmed on February 14, 2026, this partnership will see the arrival of approximately 100 classic animation titles to the platform starting March 1, 2026 [1][3]. Dubbed the start of Tubi’s “cartoon era,” the acquisition includes nostalgic heavyweights from the late 1990s and early 2000s such as The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter’s Laboratory, Courage the Cowardly Dog, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold [1][3]. This influx of high-profile intellectual property marks a strategic pivot for Warner Bros. Discovery, which had previously removed several of these classic series from its own subscription service, HBO Max, over the last few years [1].
The Economics of Nostalgia and Attention
This licensing arrangement arrives at a time when the battle for viewer attention is intensifying. Data from January 2026 indicates that HBO/Max recently secured the top spot for streaming in the US living room, outperforming competitors like Netflix and Amazon [2]. However, Tubi’s model differs fundamentally from these subscription giants. Rather than relying on subscription fees, Tubi monetizes through advertisements, maintaining a lighter ad load to retain viewers. Current industry figures show that while traditional cable television subjects viewers to approximately 15 minutes of commercials per hour, free streaming services like Tubi average just 9 minutes per hour [5]. This represents a 40 percent reduction in commercial time compared to traditional linear TV, a critical differentiator in maintaining audience engagement.