Warner Bros. Discovery, Comcast settle Harry Potter dispute

11 Dec 2024, 00:03 by Fernanda Tronco · The Fresno Bee

When author J.K. Rowling published the first Harry Potter novel in 1997, little did she know that the magical story of an eleven-year-old orphan boy who discovers he's the son of wizards would become the multi-billion dollar industry it is to this day.

Not only is Harry Potter a successful seven fantasy novel series, but it also has eight award-winning films, multiple amusement parks, and various stores worldwide.

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Harry Potter has become part of world culture, creating a fandom that has reached global fame and encompasses all ages.

Like any other successful story, it's no surprise that Harry Potter would eventually get a reboot. It's also no surprise that because of the goldmine that it has become, many would want a piece of it.

However, this one might have turned messy, landing its production company in a court battle.

Close-up of Harry Potter books during the Turin Book Fair 2024.Stefano Guidi/Getty ImagesStefano Guidi/Getty Images

Warner Bros. Discovery announces the new Harry Potter series

In 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery officially announced the upcoming launch of a new Harry Potter series inspired by the original films featuring a completely new cast. As stated in the announcement, this series will debut in 2026 and stream on Max.

Although this might be exciting news for most Harry Potter fans, some were not as happy with the announcement, including one of Warner Bros. Discovery's most prominent partners.

Warner Bros. Discovery and Comcast seem to have a love-hate relationship. The two have been business partners for multiple years and just closed a renewal deal while battling it out in court over the TV series.

On Monday, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and Comcast (CMCSA) announced the renewal of a distribution deal across Xfinity and Sky UK. This deal gives these streaming services the right to include ad-supported versions of Max and Discovery+ as an option in their bundle packages.

The renewal would also allow the upcoming Harry Potter series to stream on Sky UK, making it available for British viewers.

Comcast, Sky settle lawsuit against Warner Bros. over the Harry Potter series

In September, Comcast's Sky filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery over an alleged breach of a contract signed in 2019 for exclusive rights to various shows, including the upcoming Harry Potter series.

In the lawsuit, Sky sought to co-fund and co-produce the series. However, in 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery said that meeting their previous agreement wouldn't be possible.

According to the contract terms, Sky is required to finance at least five seasons and provide around 20% to 25% of the budget for the first season of the Harry Potter series. In return, it would get exclusivity to continue co-producing the upcoming seasons.

In the lawsuit, Sky claimed that Warner Bros. Discovery must offer Sky the opportunity to partner on at least four shows annually from 2021 to 2025. However, Sky has yet to fulfill its part of the deal and failed to do so from 2021 to 2023.

Instead, Warner Bros. Discovery allegedly plans to keep the content exclusively for itself and use it as an incentive in the launch of its streaming service Max in Europe.

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Conversely, Warner Bros. Discovery has denied all allegations and stated that the licensing deal will expire in 2025. The company also noted that Sky was required to choose at least two shows from a set list that meets specific criteria.

However, like any love-hate relationship, both parties agreed to dismiss the ongoing dispute privately outside of court on Monday. The settlement terms have not been disclosed publicly, but each party will bear its fees and costs.

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This story was originally published December 10, 2024, 4:03 PM.