Warner Bros Discovery, Viacom18 unveil content alliance for Indian market

The announcement follows Disney Star’s decision to end its long-standing content partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery. As a result, 144 HBO Originals, including hit series like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragons, The Last of Us, and Succession, were pulled from Disney+ Hotstar as of March 31. As for the five-year deal, which Disney+ Hotstar sought to increase profitability, it was reportedly deemed insufficient in terms of value.

Under the new agreement, Viacom18 will offer HBO and Warner content lineup to its Indian users through linear channels and JioCinema streaming service. As per the partnering firms, HBO Originals, Max Originals and Warner Bros. television series are slated to make their US debut as well as premiere on JioCinema.

The deal includes current and future seasons of HBO’s series such as House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, Succession and The White Lotus, and returning seasons of True Detective: Night Country, Euphoria, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty and Perry Mason. Also featured as part of the deal are HBO original series including The Idol, White House Plumbers, The Sympathizer and The Reign. In addition, HBO’s series and documentaries including Game of Thrones, Sex and the City, Big Little Lies, Chernobyl and Veep will be available to users.

Max original series including And Just Like That…, Peacemaker, and The Flight Attendant, premieres such as Dune: The Sisterhood, the Batman spinoff The Penguin, and Duster, starring JJ Abrams and LaToya Morgan, as well as Warner Bros. television series such as East New York and Gotham Knights are also part of the offering.

Future Warner Bros. movies and film library including Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and DC Universe movies, as well as children’s animation titles like Dexter’s Laboratory and Tom and Jerry Kids will also be available on JioCinema.

“Warner Bros. Discovery’s brands are incredibly popular across India, and we are delighted to partner with Viacom18 to bring our premium HBO, Max Originals and Warner Bros. content to local fans. This new tie-up demonstrates our commitment to South Asia as we look to entertain audiences across more platforms, and further strengthen the scale of our regional business overall,” Clement Schwebig, President, India, South East Asia and Korea, Warner Bros. Discovery. , said in a statement.

Viacom18’s Head of SVOD and International Business, Firzad Palia said that JioCinema has become the biggest platform for live sports. “We are now on a mission to create a destination for entertainment for all Indians. The strategic partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery is a major milestone in our journey to offer the best of Hollywood content to our elite consumers. We believe ​Warner Bros. Discovery sets the global standard for premium content, and this partnership allows us to create the best and most comprehensive destination for our users.”

Updated: April 27, 2023, 01:37 PM IST