Canadians eagerly awaiting the debut of HBO’s upcoming TV and streaming version of the popular “Harry Potter” series, scheduled to launch early next year, will be able to enjoy it on Crave in Canada. The future exclusivity of HBO content, including “Harry Potter,” “The White Lotus,” “The Last of Us,” and “House of the Dragon,” on the Bell Media-owned streaming platform remains uncertain as Paramount Skydance moves to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of HBO and HBO Max, in a $110 billion US deal expected to receive federal approval by year-end.
The implications of this acquisition on existing agreements between Warner Bros. Discovery and Canadian broadcasters like Crave are unclear, raising questions about whether Canadian viewers will need to access another service to continue watching their favorite shows. Paramount+, already available in Canada along with its free ad-supported TV service, Pluto TV, aims to merge its platforms with HBO Max to compete more effectively in the streaming market.
Crave has been streaming HBO and HBO Max content since striking a licensing deal with Warner Media in 2019, with subsequent renewals and expansions in 2023 and 2024 following Discovery’s acquisition of Warner Media. Bell Media reassures viewers that Crave will remain the home of HBO and HBO Max programming in Canada under a long-term agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery. While the specifics of the current deal’s expiration date are unknown, Bell Media has indicated that HBO content will continue on Crave for the foreseeable future.
Even if Paramount+ introduces HBO content in Canada, it may not entirely vanish from Crave, reflecting the approach seen in the US where HBO titles have been available on multiple platforms. The potential consolidation of Pluto TV, Paramount+, and HBO Max under Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison’s vision could have implications for Canadian distributors like Corus Entertainment, the parent company of Global TV, which has not responded to queries regarding the impact of the deal.
Rogers Sports & Media, having secured a distribution deal with Warner Bros. Discovery in 2024 for brands such as HGTV, Food Network, and Discovery, offers on-demand programming through its Citytv+ streaming service alongside cable broadcasts. As the Canadian streaming landscape evolves, viewers may witness shifts in content availability and distribution among various platforms, presenting both challenges and opportunities for industry players.
