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BSkyB inks deal with Warner Bros for Harry Potter movies
MUMBAI: BSkyB-owned pay-TV broadcaster Sky Movies has strengthened its content offering by reaching an agreement with Warner Bros to deliver its customers exclusive access to all eight Harry Potter movies from next month.
The agreement means that Sky Movies will be the only place this Christmas where film fans will be able to enjoy the most successful movie franchise in box office history, from Harry’s first outing in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to his final, epic battle with Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
During the three months that they are showing on Sky Movies, none of the Harry Potter movies will be available on any other UK TV channel or streaming service. All eight movies will be available in HD, with each film shown ad-free and uncut.
Sky Movies customers will be able to watch all the Harry Potter films when they want on their Sky+HD box through Sky’s On Demand service. Customers will also be able to take all eight films with them while they are on the move, watching the movies on a range of internet-connected devices including iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones through Sky’s award-winning multiplatform TV service Sky Go. The last film in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, will additionally be showing on Sky 3D.
The entire Harry Potter collection of movies will also be available via the Sky Movies monthly pass on NOW TV, the internet TV service powered by Sky which offers easy and flexible access to Sky Movies across a range of internet-connected devices.
The announcement is in addition to a multi-year agreement between Warner Bros.’ and Sky unveiled last month that will see Sky Movies become the first subscription service in the UK to show current Warner Bros.’ movies such as The Dark Knight Rises, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Dark Shadows and Wrath of the Titans, as well future releases including as Man of Steel, The Hangover Part III and The Great Gatsby.
Sky Movies Director Ian Lewis said, “We’re delighted to be extending our partnership with Warner Bros to deliver Sky Movies customers exclusive access to the entire Harry Potter collection, which will not be available on any other TV channel or streaming service this Christmas. To make it even better, Sky Movies customers can also enjoy the entire series of films on demand through their Sky+HD box, or watch them while they are on the move via their smartphone or mobile tablet.”
Warner Bros. UK, Ireland and Spain President & Managing Director Josh Berger CBE said, “The Harry Potter film franchise is a uniquely British success story, one that was conceived and produced here in the UK with a largely British cast and crew and beloved by millions of people around the world. For the first time ever, Sky Movies customers can look forward to enjoying all of the movies in this record-breaking series in one place at one time.”
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Inshorts Group chief Deepit Purkayastha joins IAB video council for Southeast Asia and India
The co-founder and chief executive of the short-form content platform has been inducted into the IAB SEA+India Video Council, giving India a stronger voice in shaping digital video frameworks
NOIDA: India has long been the world’s most chaotic, multilingual and mobile-first digital market. Now, one of its most prominent short-video executives is getting a seat at the table where the rules are written.
Deepit Purkayastha, co-founder and chief executive of Inshorts Group, has been selected as a member of the IAB SEA+India Video Council for 2026. Run by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, the council brings together senior leaders from Southeast Asia and India to shape standards, best practices and measurement frameworks for the fast-evolving video and digital advertising ecosystem.
The timing is pointed. According to the IAMAI-Kantar Internet in India Report 2025, over 588 million Indians are now consuming short-video content, with growth increasingly driven by rural and non-metro audiences. India’s active internet user base has crossed 950 million, with 57 per cent of users now coming from rural markets. Yet the frameworks that govern how video consumption is measured and monetised were largely designed for single-language, Western markets and have struggled to keep pace with the scale, diversity and complexity of India’s digital landscape.
Purkayastha is no stranger to these debates. He already serves on the AI Council at Marketing and Media Alliance India and as co-chair of the Digital Entertainment Committee at the Internet and Mobile Association of India. His induction into the IAB SEA+India Video Council extends that influence into the global video standards arena.
Inshorts Group sits squarely at the intersection of these forces. Its flagship product, Inshorts, India’s highest-rated short news app, reaches 12 million active users with 60-word news summaries. Its sister platform, Public App, reaches 80 million monthly active users across more than 700 districts and 12 languages, serving communities that most global platforms barely register.
Purkayastha said the opportunity was about building something more representative. “India today sits at the centre of the global video ecosystem, but the frameworks that define how value is created and measured have not always kept pace with the realities of our market,” he said. “Being part of the IAB SEA+India Video Council is an opportunity to contribute to a more representative and future-ready approach, one that accounts for diversity in language, context, and user intent.”
As a council member, Purkayastha will contribute to shaping regional standards across video advertising, measurement and platform governance, with a focus on frameworks that are native to India’s multilingual, mobile-first ecosystem rather than imported from global benchmarks designed elsewhere.
For years, India has been content to play by rules written for other markets. Purkayastha’s induction is a signal that it is done waiting to be consulted and ready to start writing them.
