Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery introduced a giant, multiyear cross-company distribution pact — which features a provision that lets Comcast bundle Max within the U.S.
Under the pact, Comcast-owned TV operator Sky will launch the ad-supported model of Max within the U.Okay. and Ireland in early 2026. Comcast presently doesn’t have plans to bundle WBD’s Max on its U.S. platforms but it surely has the rights to take action down the highway. Through the Max deal, Sky clients within the U.Okay. and Ireland will be capable of stream HBO’s Harry Potter drama collection in works at Warner Bros. Television, together with different WBD content material.
Overall, the long-term agreements cowl WBD’s portfolio of content material for Comcast’s Xfinity and Sky U.Okay. and Ireland clients. Financial phrases of the agreements weren’t disclosed. A supply aware of the renewal mentioned that Comcast is paying decrease carriage charges for TNT and TBS given WBD’s lack of NBA video games within the U.S. beginning with the 2025-26 season. But one other supply disputed that, saying the TNT and TBS affiliate charges Comcast is paying had been flat.
For the U.S., Comcast entered into renewal agreements cowl the legacy Turner and Scripps linear cable networks for Xfinity TV clients, together with TNT, TBS, CNN, Discovery, Food Network, HGTV, TLC and Investigation Discovery. Previously, Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery had a number of carriage offers within the States with totally different finish dates and the businesses determined to do one massive roll-up to cowl all of the related WBD properties.
The pact additionally grants Comcast continued carriage of HBO — and expands Comcast’s rights to bundle the ad-supported variations of Max and Discovery+ in its streaming bundles. Comcast additionally will proceed to supply WBD content material as a part of the operator’s lower-cost Now TV streaming providers within the U.S.
For Sky, the Comcast-WBD settlement now encompasses a brand new, non-exclusive ad-supported Max app when WBD launches the service within the U.Okay. and Ireland in early 2026. The corporations additionally introduced that Sky U.Okay. and Warner Bros. Discovery broadened their collaboration “to deliver the easiest of Warner Bros. Discovery tv and flicks” to Sky U.Okay. and NOW clients via a brand new long-term partnership within the U.Okay. and Ireland.
“We prolonged our partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery to distribute its networks and expanded our means to ship its premium streaming content material, together with Max and Discovery+, in a method that gives extra alternative and adaptability to all of our clients because the video ecosystem continues to evolve,” Greg Rigdon, Comcast’s president of content material acquisition, mentioned in asserting the deal. “Through these agreements, we are going to deliver Warner Bros. Discovery’s in depth portfolio to our clients nonetheless they wish to eat the content material throughout our present and future linear tv and streaming bundles.”
“These broad and multiyear agreements underscore the worth and attraction of our linear portfolio for audiences within the U.S.,” mentioned Bruce Campbell, WBD’s chief income and technique officer, in an announcement. “Sky U.Okay. is a perfect associate for us within the U.Okay. and Ireland as we put together for Max’s launch in early 2026. We are happy that Xfinity and Sky U.Okay. subscribers will proceed to get pleasure from our award-winning and common content material on our networks and throughout our streaming platforms.”
Warner Bros. Discovery sewed up the long-term take care of Comcast earlier than the top of 2024 — a yr earlier than it was set to run out. The pact comes three months after WBD signed an expansive renewal with U.S. cable big Charter Communications (additionally a yr early). Under that deal, Charter plans to bundle ad-supported variations of Max and Discovery+ for no extra price with Spectrum TV Select.
