Canada’s Bell Media and Warner Bros Discovery have prolonged their pact for HBO and Max content material, and on the identical time ended their authorized dispute associated to Bell rival Rogers.
The multi-year extension comes simply 17 months after the earlier licensing pact between the Canadian community and the U.S. studio was struck. The brand new settlement will see subscribers to Bell streamer Crave “have continued entry to an enormous library of premium content material for the foreseeable future,” based on the community.
On the identical time, Bell and WBD additionally confirmed they’ve settled “all issues” of their latest dispute relating to Bell’s suite of Discovery-branded channels.
WBD had struck a cope with Bell rival Rogers for English-language way of life fare, which had beforehand run on Bell for 30 years. This led to authorized motion being taken in July, however that has now ended. Particulars relating to adjustments to Bell-owned Discovery channels will likely be made accessible within the coming weeks, the pair mentioned. No phrase if the Rogers pact nonetheless stays in place. We’ve reached out to WBD for extra.
The brand new Bell-WBD deal consists of co-production dedication for unique Canadian content material with international attraction, licensing of Bell’s unique content material to be used on WBD platforms exterior of Canada, and prolonged entry to French-language content material to be used on Bell platforms.
The co-pro aspect is just not not like the one WBD has with Sky in Europe, although their long-term has been turning bitter as the present settlement nears its finish and Max will get able to launch within the UK. Comcast-owned Sky has accused WBD of reducing it out of upcoming reveals such because the Harry Potter sequence that it believes certified as potential co-productions.
The brand new Crave deal seems to finish the notion Max will launch in Canada within the foreseeable future.
Additionally headed to Bell are HBO and Max Originals similar to The Final of Us, Home of the Dragon, The White Lotus, Simply Like That and The Penguin and library reveals similar to The Sopranos, Intercourse and the Metropolis, Sport of Thrones, Succession and The Wire.
Bell additionally will get movies and reveals from the DC Universe, and the Harry Potter franchise, together with the Harry Potter sequence, and blockbusters similar to Barbie, Dune and Dune: Half Two, Wonka and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
“We’re strengthening and deepening our relationship with Warner Bros. Discovery, marking a major milestone as we transfer ahead collectively,” mentioned Stewart Johnston, SVP Content material and Gross sales at Bell Media. “With our dedication to develop co-productions, and the prolonged pipeline of extraordinarily useful content material for subscribers, we’ve ensured Crave is well-positioned for continued progress and success.”
Bell is a part of Canadian telecoms big BCE. It operates main community CTV, streamer Crave and a
