If you've subscribed to HBO Max today, then you will have more than likely stumbled across an unexpected surprise. Despite speculation that they might not be on there until as late as 2025, all eight Harry Potter movies from The Sorcerer's Stone to The Deathly Hallows Part 2 are now available.
Warner Bros. reached a lucrative deal with NBCUniversal in 2016 which meant they had the rights to the franchise, but something has clearly been worked out behind the scenes.
In recent interviews, HBO Max Content Chief Kevin Reilly has pointed to being uncertain about whether HBO Max would be able to include the movies, and some analysts have pointed to a Peacock debut instead. That's clearly not the case, and it seems as if their place on the platform was kept as a surprise in order to generate as much attention on launch day as possible (it worked).
We don't know what sort of agreement has been reached, but this is huge for HBO Max, and ensures the streaming service has a huge draw right from the start - something it needs to stand out from the crowd. After all, Disney+ and Netflix are killing it right now, and there have already been some hiccups with today's launch with no 4K content currently available to stream for many viewers.
Here's what you can expect to see on HBO Max:
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