Warner Bros has been exploring various ways to monetise its catalogue of classic films over the years, including its short-lived subscription service FilmStruck, which it discontinued less than a year after its 2018 launch, Variety reported.

In a new strategy, Warner Bros Entertainment has begun making its content available on YouTube to generate digital ad revenue from its film library.

Since the beginning of 2025, the company has released 31 movies on its YouTube channels, all accessible for free. Such films include advertisements unless viewers subscribe to YouTube Premium. Warner Bros has also created a dedicated YouTube playlist featuring these free movies.

The selection of titles spans various genres and includes films from several decades. Featured movies include Mutiny on the Bounty with Marlon Brando, Eddie Murphy’s The Adventures of Pluto Nash, George Burns in Oh, God!, Robert De Niro’s The Mission, as well as Waiting for Guffman, Return of the Living Dead Part II, and Leonardo DiCaprio’s climate documentary The 11th Hour.

The standout title among the release of 31 classic films on YouTube is Mr. Nice Guy, a 1997 action-comedy featuring Jackie Chan, which has garnered over 16 million views since its release on January 1. The initiative was first reported by Gizmodo.

The studio has been testing the waters by offering free titles directly on its own YouTube channels, such as Warner Bros. Classics, making it easier for viewers to locate them. Warner Bros. Discovery has struck deals to provide content to ad-supported platforms like Roku and Tubi. Notably, such films are not available on Max, Warner Bros Discovery’s subscription service.