Bharti Airtel is turning to nostalgia to strengthen its digital TV offering. The company has launched Airtel Cartoon Network Classics, an ad-free channel that brings back some of the most recognisable animated shows from the 1990s and early 2000s. The channel is available across Airtel Digital TV, including DTH, IPTV and connected set-top boxes.
Developed in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, the channel features a lineup that includes Tom and Jerry, Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones and Johnny Bravo. Airtel is positioning the service as a family-friendly destination aimed at viewers who grew up with these characters, while also introducing them to a younger audience.
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The channel is priced at Rs 59 per month and is available on Channel 445 in both English and Hindi. Airtel says the ad-free format is designed to offer uninterrupted viewing and does not require any additional hardware or upgrades. The service is accessible across HD and SD set-top boxes, including Airtel Xstream and IPTV devices.
Pushpinder Singh Gujral, DTH Business Head at Airtel, said the launch adds another curated layer to the company’s entertainment portfolio. According to him, the channel allows customers to reconnect with iconic characters that continue to hold relevance across generations.
From Warner Bros. Discovery’s side, South Asia Managing Director Arjun Nohwar said the collaboration reflects the enduring appeal of Cartoon Network’s classic franchises. He noted that the partnership with Airtel helps make these titles more accessible to Indian households in a simple, subscription-based format.
For Airtel, the move fits into a broader strategy of using exclusive and niche content to drive engagement on its digital TV platforms at a time when traditional television is facing pressure from streaming services. By focusing on familiarity and curated experiences rather than volume, the company appears to be targeting stickiness rather than scale.
Subscribers can activate the channel through their set-top box, a missed call or the Airtel Thanks app, with Airtel claiming activation takes only a few seconds.
As competition intensifies in India’s connected TV and home entertainment market, Airtel’s latest launch suggests that nostalgia, when packaged correctly, still has commercial value.
