Adult Swim
Adult Swim is the adult-oriented programming block and brand of the U.S. cable channel Cartoon NetworkCartoon NetworkCartoon Network is an American animation cable channel launched by Ted Turner on October 1, 1992, and based in Atlanta; it has aired Space Ghost Coast to Coast, the Toonami block and the adult animation block Adult Swim, belonged successively to WarnerMedia and Warner Bros. Discovery, and became part of Skydance with the latter in October 2026.Open the full entry; it premiered on September 2, 2001, is known for adult animation such as Aqua Teen Hunger Force and for the Toonami block, and by 2026 aired 13 hours a day on Cartoon Network.
Contents12 sections
Key facts
September 2, 2001Premiere
At 10 p.m. Eastern on September 2, 2001, Cartoon Network launched Adult Swim, opening with Home Movies followed by The Brak Show; it originally ran on Sundays from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., with a Thursday repeat.[1]
The premiere also introduced new shows from Atlanta-based Williams Street Productions, including Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Sealab 2021 and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.[2]
2004Leading Late-Night Ratings
In 2004, Adult Swim, airing six nights a week from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., was consistently the top show on basic cable among 18- to 34-year-olds; in October its total audience in the Leno-Letterman time slot was up about 27% from 2003.[3]
March 2005Separate Ratings
Turner Broadcasting announced that Adult Swim would be split from Cartoon Network for ratings purposes, with Nielsen reporting it as a separate network from March 28, 2005; Adult Swim then ran from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. six nights a week.[4]
January–February 2007: Boston Marketing Incident
In January 2007, guerrilla marketing signs for Aqua Teen Hunger Force set off a massive security alert in Boston; Turner Broadcasting and marketer Interference Inc. then agreed to pay $2 million, and Cartoon Network general manager and executive vice president Jim Samples resigned in February.[5]
2009–2011Moving into Prime Time
In January 2009, Adult Swim moved its nightly start from 11 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Turner planned a further move to 9 p.m. from January 2011.[6]
May 2012Toonami Returns
Cartoon Network’s Toonami block began in 1997 and ended in 2008; in May 2012 it returned on Adult Swim on Saturdays.[7]
2020Under Warner Bros.’ Kids and Young Adults Division
In 2020, Tom Ascheim was named president of Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics for Warner Bros., overseeing Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang and reporting to Ann Sarnoff.[8]
May 2024Toonami Rewind
From May 31, 2024, Adult Swim aired Toonami Rewind on Fridays at 5 p.m., with a first lineup of Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z Kai and Naruto.[7]
September 202625th Anniversary
At its 25th anniversary, Adult Swim occupied Cartoon Network from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m., 13 hours a day.[1]
October 2026Parent Company Becomes Part of Skydance
On October 6, 2026, Paramount completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery; the combined company is named Skydance and trades under the ticker SKYD.[9]
As of October 2026, the Adult Swim website carried a copyright notice in the name of The Cartoon Network, Inc.[10]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Adult Swim: Official website: https://www.adultswim.com/ (opens in a new window)[10]
X: Official account: https://x.com/adultswim (opens in a new window)[10]
Skydance: Official website: https://www.skydance.com/ (opens in a new window)[9]
Sources
- 25 Years Ago Today: Adult Swim First Premiered From Late-Night Experiment to Animation Powerhouse (opens in a new window)
- How the Adult Swim pirate ship set sail: An oral history (opens in a new window)
- Swimming Against The Tide (opens in a new window)
- Adult Swim/CN Split Cements Strategy (opens in a new window)
- Cartoon Network boss quits over bomb scare (opens in a new window)
- Adult Swim Preps for Deeper Dive Into Prime (opens in a new window)
- Adult Swim Announces Toonami Rewind Block With Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z Kai, Naruto Anime (opens in a new window)
- Tom Ascheim Joins Warner Bros As President Of Global Kids, Young Adults And Classics (opens in a new window)
- Paramount Completes Acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, Creating Skydance (opens in a new window)
- Adult Swim (opens in a new window)