‘Harry Potter’ Will Not Be On WarnerMedia’s HBO Max — Here’s Why
The Harry Potter movies are a global phenomenon. Even now, years after the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two, the stories told in the movies are still captivating fans. Therefore, many Harry Potter fans would probably love to be able to rewatch all of the movies in one convenient place. Unfortunately for fans, HBO Max will not be that place.
Find out why Harry Potter fans might have expected to see the movies on HBO Max and where they might be available to stream in the future, ahead.
Why might ‘Harry Potter’ have been expected to be on HBO Max?
The Harry Potter movies were made by Warner Bros. Therefore, WarnerMedia’s upcoming streaming service HBO Max would seem like the perfect place for the fantasy series to land. Unfortunately, that will not be the case.
Fans searching for where to stream the Harry Potter movies will not be able to find them on HBO Max. That leaves a big question for many people: how and why will the movies not be available on the streaming platform? Don’t worry, Harry Potter fans. We have the answer.
Why won’t the ‘Harry Potter’ movies be available on HBO Max?
According to Deadline, Michael Quigley, the VP of Content Acquisitions at HBO Max said: “Harry Potter is tied up with another programming group.” This may lead to fans wondering who has the rights to stream the Harry Potter movies. According to Deadline and a 2016 article by The Hollywood Reporter, that would be NBCUniversal.
NBCUniversal has rights to the series, according to The Hollywood Reporter, through April 2025. However, we are sure that Warner Media will not let such a successful franchise slip through their fingers. As Kevin Reilly, chief content officer at HBO Max has said, according to Deadline: “You can’t have our experience without Harry Potter.” So the movies might end up appearing on HBO Max after all.
Reilly also said that “discussions will continue” about the streaming rights to the Harry Potter movies. So WarnerMedia might get the rights back, which will lead to the movies appearing on HBO Max in the end. Until then, there is another upcoming streaming service that might have the Harry Potter movies.
Where to stream ‘Harry Potter’ in the future and now
Right now, NBCUniversal has the digital rights to the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies. They are also launching a streaming service, known as Peacock. Therefore, the Harry Potter movies might appear on Peacock. However, in a press release announcing the service, they don’t mention Harry Potter at all.
Given the popularity of the series, you’d think they would at least mention it if indeed it will be streaming on Peacock. As of right now, Emma Pocock of Forbes seems to think that the Harry Potter movies will be streaming on Peacock when it launches. Only time will truly tell where the popular movies will end up. For now, fans might be wondering where they can stream Harry Potter before the launches of either HBO Max or Peacock.
According to Den of Geek’s Kayti Burt, all of the Harry Potter movies are available for purchase on Google Play, Youtube, and Amazon. They are also, according to Burt, available for streaming online through Syfy & USA, two NBCUniversal owned channels.
