Comcast’s Sky Sues Warner Bros. Discovery Because It Wants in on Max’s Harry Potter Series

Not on the day Maggie Smith died , you guys.

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Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery are squabbling over HBO/Max’s coming Harry Potter series. Specifically, UK broadcaster Sky, owned by Comcast, has sued WBD for the right to co-produce the small-screen adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s novel series.

In 2019, the year after Comcast acquired Sky, it and Warner Media — a predecessor to what would become Warner Bros. Discovery in 2022 — formed a pact that says WBD will present Sky with four hour-length, multi-season shows intended for what was then HBO Max, and give them the chance to co-finance or co-produce the series. Sky believes that lot should include the Potter series.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s “too-bad, so-sad” defense is the Mayan calendar: The deal ends in 2025, and the Harry Potter show is slated for 2026.

But Sky says it doesn’t matter when it’s slated to air; the deal terms are based on whether the show was “ordered.” WBD officially ordered the Harry Potter series in April 2023, so Potter should technically qualify. But also of note, Sky’s deal does not include shows intended for HBO’s linear channel or the now-defunct HBO Now. Warner Bros. a few months back made the shift of calling Harry Potter an HBO Original rather than a Max Original, a distinction that at the time seemed like a marketing strategy decision.

All of that will be up to the courts to decide. But here’s what Sky’s officially saying:

“Warner’s reason for refusing to honor its obligations to Sky could not be more clear: Warner has chosen to keep the Harry Potter Series for itself and make the blockbuster series the cornerstone of its own Max rollout in Europe,” the lawsuit, obtained by IndieWire, reads.

Max is set to rollout in Europe in — you guessed it — 2026.

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Potter aside, Sky says WBD has “never upheld” its end of the bargain, and that the two companies have been working to add a new amendment to the deal ever since before Warner Bros. Discovery even existed.

When the company announced it was launching a casting call for the three main leads of Harry, Ron, and Hermione on the show back on September 8, that was just “the latest demonstration of its total disregard for Sky’s rights.”

“Warner Brothers. Discovery is a longstanding partner to our business. In the course of our work together, we have been unable to resolve a dispute over a specific agreement. As a result of exposure to harm and losses we have initiated proceedings to safeguard our interests and enforce our rights to partner in the production and distribution of highly valuable content,” a Sky rep said in a statement shared with IndieWire. “We look forward to achieving a swift and conclusive resolution of the matter. At the same time, we continue to work constructively with Warner Brothers. Discovery and have a separate agreement in place that will ensure Sky customers continue to enjoy HBO shows, including new seasons, such as ‘House of the Dragon,’ ‘The Last of Us,’ ‘The White Lotus,’ and ‘Euphoria,’ along with exciting new releases such as ‘Dune: Prophecy,’ and many more for years to come.”

Don’t hate us ’cause you ain’t us, WBD said. OK, again, they really didn’t. Here’s what a Warner Bros. Discovery spokesperson emailed us:

“The HBO and Max licensing agreements expire at the end of 2025, and this lawsuit is a baseless attempt by Sky and Comcast to try and gain leverage in its negotiations for our programming beyond that date. We know HBO branded shows are critical to Sky, as evidenced by their desire for over a year to find a way to renew our agreements, and this lawsuit makes it clear that Sky is deeply concerned about the viability of its business were it to lose our award-winning content. WBD will vigorously defend itself from this unfounded lawsuit as we move forward undeterred with plans to launch Max, including the new HBO Harry Potter series, in the UK and other European markets in 2026.”

HBO intends to make seven seasons of the Potter show , each one encompassing one of Rowling’s books.