Cartoon NetworkArabic is a Pan-Arab free-to-airchildren's television channel that is broadcast for a pan-Arab audience in the Middle East and North Africa region, and it is one of two Arabic-language versions of Cartoon Network, the other being an HD pay TV channel on beIN and additional providers called Cartoon Network MENA which is available in both English and Arabic. The channel was launched on 10 October 2010 at 10:10 AM GST, with the channel's launch coinciding with the opening of Turner Broadcasting System Europe's offices in Dubai Media City. As of 2019, it's managed by Warner Bros. through its Middle East unit. The standard channel broadcasts via ArabsatBadr 6 and Nilesat. Cartoon Network Arabic is considered a free-to-air alternative to Cartoon Network MENA and Boomerang MENA, two pay TV channels offered in the Arab world in HD and in both English and Arabic on beIN Network and additional providers since 1 July 2016, despite the varying differences in programming, schedules, and available languages.
History
Cartoon Network Arabic was launched on 10 October 2010 at 10:10 AM GST. The channel's launch coincided with the opening of Turner Broadcasting System's offices in Dubai Media City, UAE, which is where the channel's local owner is located. The channel changed its aspect ratio from 4:3 to 16:9 on 5 October 2014; it also began using the Check it 3.0 branding on that day. On 4 October 2017, the channel has fully rebranded to Dimensional style. In December 2015, Turner Broadcasting System entered an exclusivity deal with the Qatar-based beIN Media Group. This deal led to Cartoon Network Africa, Boomerang Africa, and TCM moving from OSN to the latter's beIN Network service, and also caused the HD feed on YahLive to shut down; the actual channel, however, is unaffected due to being a free-to-air channel on Nilesat and Arabsat/Badr. Cartoon Network Arabic was added to beIN as channel 138 as an HD channel, although the HD version was later replaced with the SD version on Arabsat/Badr. CNN International HD was removed from My-HD's channel list and moved to beIN as an encrypted HD channel along with the pay-only HLN which is in letterboxed SD, but CNN continues to remain available as a free-to-air channel on Nilesat and Arabsat/Badr in SD. However, subscribers to Etisalat and du's IPTV services in the UAE were virtually unaffected at the time. However, due to their direct relations with Turner, UAE Telecoms, Etisalat and Du continue to offer these channels to IPTV subscribers. Additionally, inVision in Saudi Arabia, Ooredoo in Qatar and Cablevision in Lebanon offer Cartoon Network and Boomerang as well.
Programming
TV series
Animated programs aired include original Cartoon Network Studios productions like the Ben 10 reboot, Regular Show, Powerpuff Girls reboot, Uncle Grandpa, Clarence, Adventure Time, and We Bare Bears, as well as programs produced by other studios. The channel mainly airs animated cartoons from Cartoon Network Studios. Local productions like Mansour are produced and aired along with movies, shorts, live-action series, and shows from various other studios. The channel is only available in Arabic, with no choice to switch to English or any other languages. This is due to the fact that the channel is a free-to-air TV channel aimed solely at an Arabic-speaking audience for money. The channel broadcasts a line of Cartoon Network's own shows dubbed from English. Cartoon Network Arabic has also offered numerous localized shows, such as Mansour and the Arabic version of , which are the result of various partnership deals with local production companies, including the Dubai-based Lammtara Pictures or the Jordan-based Rubicon Group Holding. The channel often edits certain programs for content, cutting out certain scenes from them. In 2019, Cartoon Network Arabic started airing Kral Şakir as -ليث the king-.
In 2011, Turner Broadcasting System Europe had announced that it would roll out its UK-based preschoolers' channel Cartoonito across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, increasing the brand's distribution to 125 million homes in 112 territories. On Cartoon Network Arabic, Cartoonito was launched as a morning block broadcast every day starting from 4 September 2011. However, the block was phased out in early 2014, with some of its shows no longer available. However, the Cartoonito block returned on 24 March 2019 with 3 shows, 1 returning is Baby Looney Tunes with 2 new additions to Cartoonito which are Grizzy and the Lemmings and Pat the Dog. It was closed and reopened again in December, with some programs previously on the block being removed.
Other versions and related channels
Cartoon Network Arabic HD
In March 2012, Cartoon Network Arabic became available in true high-definition via the YahLive service. The channel was eventually moved under beIN Network's service after the exclusivity deal was in effect in January 2016. In May 2016, the channel was superseded in favor of Cartoon Network MENA and Boomerang MENA that were later launched in July that year, as they both feature an Arabic audio track.
Cartoon Network Arabic +2
A two-hour timeshift channel variant launched on 30 June 2014 via the My-HD pay TV network. It was terminated in January 2016 as a consequence of Turner Broadcasting System Arabia's deal with beIN Media Group.
On 1 April 2016, Qatar-based beIN Media Group, in association with Turner Broadcasting System Arabia, launched Cartoon Network Hindi exclusively via beIN. Cartoon Network Hindi provides children's animated programming to most South Asian expatriates in the Arab World countries outside of India. As the name implies, the channel is only available in Hindi, which is akin to the Arab World's own pan-aired channel. On 12 January 2017, the channel was converted to HD and widescreen, in addition to rebranding to Dimensional.
