Have 'Harry Potter' marathons on ABC's Freeform come to an end?
LOS ANGELES -- Goodbye forever, Harry Potter ABC Freeform marathons.
Starting in 2018, the eight Harry Potter franchise films will migrate to USA and Syfy channels as part of a seven-year deal with Warner Bros. and NBCUniversal, Mashable has confirmed.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the news Monday morning.
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Under the new deal, Warner Bros.' upcoming Fantastic Beasts film, which hits theaters in November, will also become available to NBCUniversal sometime after its theatrical release.
Walt Disney Co. currently has rights to the films through June 2018 (hence the frequent Freeform marathons).
In a statement, an ABC spokesperson confirmed the Freeform marathons will come to an end.
"We will no longer air Harry Potter after their [NBCUniversal] window starts in 2018," the rep said in an email to Mashable.
Comcast-owned NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. already have a strong partnership when it comes to the Harry Potter brand. Universal operates the Harry Potter world theme parks in Orlando, Tokyo and now Los Angeles.
The Journal reported annual revenue from the parks more than doubled between 2010 and 2015 to $3.34 billion.
Topics Harry Potter NBC
Saba was a Los Angeles-based reporter who covers all things digital entertainment, including YouTube, streaming services and digital influencers. Prior to that, she spent two years at the Los Angeles Times covering entertainment for the Calendar and Company Town sections. Saba grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in political science. When not reporting, she is usually binge watching shows online or looking for new coffee shops to frequent.
