Canadians eagerly awaiting the debut of HBO’s much-anticipated version of the popular “Harry Potter” series, scheduled to launch early next year, will be able to enjoy it on Crave in Canada. However, the duration of Bell Media’s exclusive rights to HBO content, including “Harry Potter,” “The White Lotus,” as well as upcoming seasons of “The Last of Us” and “House of the Dragon,” remains uncertain.
Paramount Skydance is in the process of acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery, the owner of HBO and HBO Max, in a deal valued at $110 billion US (approximately $150 billion Cdn), pending regulatory approval expected by year-end.
The acquisition’s impact on existing agreements between Warner Bros. Discovery and Canadian broadcasters like Crave, and whether Canadian viewers will need to subscribe to another platform to access their favorite shows, is yet to be determined.
There could be wider implications for the streaming landscape in Canada, as Paramount’s streaming services, Paramount+ and Pluto TV, are already operational in the country. Paramount Skydance’s CEO, David Ellison, aims to merge these platforms with HBO Max into a unified streaming service to enhance competitiveness in the market.
While the future availability of HBO content on Crave remains uncertain, Bell Media has expressed confidence in their long-term partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery. The current agreement’s expiration date is unclear, but Bell Media reassures that HBO and HBO Max programming will be available on Crave for the foreseeable future.
Even if Paramount+ starts offering HBO content in Canada, it may not completely vanish from Crave, as seen in the U.S. where certain HBO titles have been accessible on multiple platforms.
The potential integration of Pluto TV with Paramount+ and HBO Max might impact their Canadian distributor, Corus Entertainment, the parent company of Global TV. Corus did not respond to inquiries by CBC News’s deadline.
Rogers Sports & Media’s agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery in 2024 to distribute brands like HGTV, Food Network, and Discovery in Canada, including through its Citytv+ streaming service, could also face changes due to the Paramount Skydance deal.
The evolving situation in the streaming industry indicates a dynamic landscape for Canadian viewers, with shifting alliances and platforms vying for content and audience share.