Sky and Warner Bros. Discovery have announced the voluntary dismissal of a lawsuit filed last month involving the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series along with their legal representatives. The decision follows the announcement of a new global distribution agreement between Sky’s parent company, Comcast, and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Sky, a broadcaster operating in the UK, Germany, and Italy, filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery in September, alleging bad faith in their five-year output agreement with HBO. The lawsuit centered around claims that Sky was not provided with sufficient programming as outlined in the contract. A significant issue raised was the planned HBO Harry Potter series, set to debut in 2026, after the expiration of the current output deal in 2025.
Notably, a legal filing by Sky UK Ltd., Sky Deutschland, and Sky Italia in the federal court of the Southern District of New York confirmed the voluntary dismissal of their case against WarnerMedia Direct, LLC. The dismissal, made with prejudice and without costs, was by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, officially bringing the matter to a close.
Furthermore, Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery have entered into long-term agreements to bring WBD’s extensive content library to Xfinity and Sky customers in the UK and Ireland. The deal leverages Comcast’s global technology platform to deliver content across linear television, apps, and streaming services. Additionally, the agreement provides Comcast with the option to include Max in its streaming bundles as part of its offerings.
Additionally, Comcast said that the renewed agreements strengthen its longstanding distribution partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery. The deal ensures that Xfinity TV customers will continue to have access to WBD’s portfolio of linear cable networks, including Food Network, HGTV, TNT, TBS, CNN, Discovery, TLC, and Investigation Discovery.