Every ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Film Is Landing on Paramount’s Linear Networks for the Very First Time

The ‘Harry Potter‘ franchise has spent years bouncing between streaming platforms and cable homes, but a sweeping new business arrangement is about to plant the entire Wizarding World firmly on a new set of channels.

Paramount has inked a multi-year licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery, bringing all eight ‘Harry Potter’ films and the three ‘Fantastic Beasts’ entries to MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, and Paramount Network. It is a move that marks a significant shift in where audiences will find the beloved franchise on traditional television.

The timing of this deal carries extra weight given the broader corporate story playing out in Hollywood right now. Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders recently approved an $81 billion sale of the company to Paramount, a megamerger valued at nearly $111 billion including debt.

The DOJ’s antitrust division approved the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery merger less than two weeks before this licensing deal was announced, though additional regulatory hurdles remain before the transaction fully closes. The licensing arrangement signals that Paramount is already treating its incoming Warner Bros. properties like home turf.

Under the new deal, Paramount becomes the exclusive linear home of the eleven films, kicking things off with an all-day marathon of every ‘Harry Potter’ movie on MTV running from noon ET/PT on July 3 through July 5. It is the kind of marathon programming stunt that the franchise has long been well-suited for, and it sets a celebratory tone for the network’s new Wizarding World footprint.

Following the MTV marathon, Paramount Network will pick up the baton starting July 13, airing one film each weeknight at 6 p.m. ET/PT through July 19, with weekend showings beginning at noon. Nick at Nite will then take over with its own week-long showcase of the eight ‘Harry Potter’ films starting August 9 at 7 p.m. ET/PT. The staggered rollout across multiple Paramount properties makes clear that the company intends to squeeze every bit of promotional value out of the acquisition.

Laurel Weir, head of programming and acquisitions for Paramount Media Networks, described the franchise as one of the most beloved and enduring in entertainment, noting that it continues to captivate audiences across generations. She told Variety that the addition enables the company to deliver the magic and adventure of these timeless stories to fans of all ages across the full range of brands Paramount serves.

NBCUniversal held the longtime linear rights to ‘Harry Potter’ under a deal that first went into effect in 2018, which allowed the films to air on its cable channels. That original agreement, estimated to be worth around $250 million, also gave NBCUniversal digital rights covering both TV and streaming through 2025. The films currently remain available to stream on both Peacock and HBO Max, meaning the linear pivot to Paramount does not immediately disrupt where subscribers already watch them on demand.

For a generation that grew up watching holiday ‘Harry Potter’ marathons on USA Network and Syfy, seeing the franchise migrate to Nickelodeon and MTV will feel like a genuine changing of the guard. Whether that broader Paramount family of channels can eventually build the same ritual around the films is the question fans and industry watchers will be watching closely. Where do you think the ‘Harry Potter’ marathon tradition fits best now that it has a new home across Paramount’s networks?