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As controversial as it is, the Harry Potterwheel continues to spin. Warner Bros. is doubling down on the brand as the reboot series hurtles towards its Christmas release date. Though the show has presented the idea that it will be more faithful to the books than ever before, it continues to find ways to differentiate itself distractingly from established elements of the books.
Now Harry Potter is going against the mold again in a shocking departure from HBO tradition. After decades of setting up winning time slots, the reboot series is taking a different approach.
Harry Potter Is Not Airing On HBO's Coveted Sunday Slot
Since the dawn of time, Sunday has always been home to HBO’s best series. HBO Sundays stretch back to the late ‘90s with newer flagship series such as Game of Thrones, The Last of Us, and even Last Week Tonight with John Oliver calling this night home.
This way, the conversation around the shows dominates the following week. The Harry Potter reboot will not take up this slot like so many before it, but instead on Friday nights. Historically, Fridays have been known as a death slot. In the days of network television, this was the slot where shows were typically shifted when they were on their last legs.
When shows aired week to week on cable, Fridays had the least traffic as viewers were heading into the weekend. Harry Potter, however, may be a different animal altogether. Warner Bros. has made it clear that the premium cable channel is putting all its eggs in the fantasy basket.
The popularity of the brand is nothing to scoff at, even when the new series comes only a decade and a half after the Harry Potter feature film franchise. The reboot clearly has a vision for the upcoming series, as it adds sidelined characters and plotlines that should make the Harry Potter series more book-accurate.
Going in this direction, however, seems to be a huge gamble. Not too long from now, the highly anticipated return of House of the Dragon will take over Sunday, clearly indicating that this slot is not a thing of the past. Even so, the Harry Potter decision appears to be a new strategy for a new generation of consumers.
HBO Is Betting On Streaming Habits Over the Legacy of the Brand
While HBO determined that Sundays were the nights to watch premium content, current trends are steering away from that strategy. As with most television watching habits, this is because of the prevalence of streaming. Viewers are no longer required to sit down at exactly the right time and dial into a specific channel.
Because of the prevalence of streaming and HBO Max’s platform, watching television doesn’t require appointment viewing as much. Warner Bros. is looking to global streaming trends rather than the legacy that HBO has established for so many years. Harry Potter may just be the first domino to fall in a new trend that will do away with the prestige of Sundays altogether.
Harry Potter is such a dominating force that viewers will make sure to congregate to get new content from the magical Wizarding World, no matter what the circumstances. Friday or Sunday, viewers will likely move mountains to see it, no matter how divisive it is. Should the streaming numbers prove favorable, it could signal a shift that once again prioritizes streamers.
Since viewers can watch content at any time, it puts less emphasis on appointment viewing. Even so, this could prove to be a double-edged sword. Everyone knows to hit HBO Max as soon as possible on Thursday to see what Dr. Robby is doing on The Pitt. Sundays are likewise a highly desired spot for fans of fantasy and sci-fi, especially with the finale of The Last of Us looming closer and closer.
HBO is the home of the best television shows, and diminishing the brand could dilute its staying power. When fans are choosing what streaming subscriptions to keep and which to let go in the days of inflation, banking on legacy may be the only thing that sets HBO apart from anything else. Regardless, Harry Potter is still more likely to cast a spell on viewers than not when the reboot officially rolls around.
