Sky, Warner Bros Discovery extend long-term partnership, settle lawsuit over rights

House of the Dragon is one of WBD’s biggest properties

Comcast-owned Sky has extended its agreement with Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) in the UK and Ireland, after the two companies settled a lawsuit relating to the deal.

The new agreement between the two will now include the ad-supported version of WBD streamer Max, which will be bundled for Sky customers at no extra cost when it launches in the UK and Ireland in early 2026.

European pay TV giant Sky and WBD-owned HBO’s long-standing output deal had been set to end in 2025, with WBD rumoured to have been holding talks with several other potential partners about different carriage structures.

Sky said the agreement ensures its customers will have access to a broader range of WBD content, including HBO and Max originals such as House of the Dragon, The White Lotus and The Last of Us, plus other series that will be exclusive to Max, including eagerly anticipated forthcoming series based on the Harry Potter IP.

The lawsuit the two companies have now settled related to alleged breaches to the 2019 deal for exclusive rights to shows. Sky had claimed that HBO’s decision not to coproduce the Harry Potter series was a violation of a co-financing and coproduction agreement between the firms.

WBD denied the allegations, pointing out that the disputed deals expire at the end of 2025, and said the lawsuit was a manoeuvre to gain leverage in negotiations over the now-agreed distribution deal. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Dana Strong

Dana Strong, Sky Group CEO, said the partnership “solidifies Sky as the ultimate TV destination and the preferred partner of choice for streamers, rights holders and content creators alike.”

Together with Max, the WBD content will be available alongside Sky’s line-up of Sky originals as well as Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, Netflix, Universal, Sony and Paramount, which are available to customers at an additional cost.

In addition, Now UK and Ireland entertainment members will receive bundled access to the ad-supported version of Max.

Sky recently secured long-term renewals of most major sports rights to near the end of the decade, including Premier League, English Football League and women’s football, Formula 1 racing, cricket, golf, rugby league and tennis.

The deal also means kids’ content on channels including Cartoon Network, Cartoonito and Boomerang will remain part of Sky and Now’s offering for years to come. Sky and WBD already have a long-term carriage agreement for a wide range of WBD’s other television channels.

Strong said: ”This deal builds on our remarkable achievements this year. We have secured most major sports rights through to the end of the decade, extended our content partnerships, and progressed our transition from satellite to IP, with 9 out 10 new customers choosing Sky Glass or Sky Stream.

“This new partnership provides an expanded range of content for our customers to enjoy Warner Bros Discovery’s popular storytelling through Max.

“The combination of content from our partners, alongside our slate of Sky originals, and Sky’s leading aggregation of the UK and Ireland’s best content apps, gives us an unrivalled entertainment proposition and an exceptional line-up of the world’s best shows.”

Andrew Georgiou

Andrew Georgiou, president and MD for WBD UK and Ireland and WBD Sports Europe, said: “Arriving in early 2026, the market-wide launch of Max in the UK and Ireland is a significant step in its global roll-out, and will be the place where audiences find incredible new shows, including the future Harry Potter series from HBO.

“Our new agreement will continue Warner Bros Discovery’s long-standing collaboration with Sky and deepen our relationship across distribution and now the bundling of Max. This will enable Max immediately at launch to be available to millions of passionate video subscribers, and separately be available to the more than 20 million other broadband households in the territories through Max direct-to-consumer and other partnerships.”

WBD held a glitzy event in London last week to preview some of its upcoming Max programming slate. Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max, said at the event that the streamer was “covered” for its 2026 launch given the appeal of its US-originated slate, which is returning to full strength following pipeline issues related to the 2023 Hollywood strikes.