Hold onto your brooms, “Harry Potter” fans — the Freeform channel will no longer be your go-to spellbinding destination for “Harry Potter” weekends come 2018.
NBCUniversal, owned by Comcast Corp. (ticker: CMCSA), announced Monday that it snagged U.S. broadcast and cable network television rights for every film in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World franchise, in an exclusive deal with Time Warner’s (TWX) Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.
As of July 1, 2018, the eight “Harry Potter” films can be found on USA Network and Syfy, though they could also appear on any NBCUniversal television network. What’s more, the deal also gives NBCUniversal exclusive basic cable rights to the new “Fantastic Beasts” movies, not to mention exclusive Universal theme parks content and events.
Freeform, which is owned by Walt Disney Co. (DIS), tells the International Business Times that, indeed, it won’t air the “Harry Potter” films once NBCUniversal’s deal begins. The deal’s on-air and digital rights last until April 2025.
NBCUniversal is betting big on the future of an extremely lucrative franchise, with the films alone garnering $7.7 billion, reports Forbes. Plus, the first “Fantastic Beasts” film due in November already has fans hyped.
But could “Harry Potter” weekends live on through one of these networks? Even if not, as Albus Dumbledore said, “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”
Comcast’s stock price is up almost 19 percent this year, and if this investment proves well, expect more magic from the company.
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NBCUniversal (CMCSA) Will Be the New Home of ‘Harry Potter’ originally appeared on usnews.com
