Overview
- A multi-year licensing agreement announced June 25 between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery makes MTV, Paramount Network, Nickelodeon and Nick at Nite the exclusive linear TV home for all eight Harry Potter films and the three Fantastic Beasts movies.
- Paramount published a rollout that begins with an MTV marathon July 3–5, continues with a week of featured films on Paramount Network starting July 13, moves to a Nick at Nite block beginning Aug. 9 with Nickelodeon encores, and culminates in a Labor Day weekend marathon on Nickelodeon starting Sept. 3.
- Streaming and co-exclusive digital rights were not part of the linear deal so the films will continue to be available on Peacock and HBO Max under existing arrangements.
- The licensing move comes as the proposed $110–111 billion Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger has cleared a key U.S. Department of Justice review but still faces further regulatory checks in Europe and the U.K. and potential legal challenges that could affect long-term consolidation of rights.
- For viewers the shift expands cable access to the franchise across networks tailored to different ages and viewing habits and could foreshadow tighter control over where the films appear if the merger closes, which would alter future programming and streaming strategies.