Warner Bros. Discovery is in discussion with Netflix over the possible licensing of a selection of library titles.
Any deal would mean that HBO content would appear on a rival US network for the first time in ten years. In Europe, there are output deals with Sky and Canal+, with content later being made available on DVD and selected VOD services.
Deadline, which first reported the story, said the first series under the arrangement is the Issa Rae comedy Insecure, which ran for five seasons on HBO to December 2021. The non-exclusive deal, which is still to be completed, means the show might still appear on Max, WBD’s rebranded streaming service.
It is understood that HBO veterans were originally against the plan, but that financials considerations won through.
Following the merger between Warner Bros and Discovery, CEO David Zaslav expressed a willingness to give up some exclusivity in order to increase revenues.
Michael Crichton fantasy drama Westworld was pulled early from HBO services and later a deal with streaming services Roku and Tubi put in place.
In 2014, HBO agreed to licence series including The Sopranos, Deadwood, Six Feet Under and The Wire to Amazon before Prime Video began to create its own originals.
