Food Network’s Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking Conjures Ratings and Reach With Series Premiere

Food Network’s Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking  kicked off the network’s holidays in spectacular fashion with ratings worth celebrating. The new series launched on Thursday, November 14^th, and posted a 0.57 P25-54 / 0.74 W25-54 L3 rating, more than doubling prior six-week benchmarks (+148% and +124% respectively) and is on pace to be Food Network’s highest rated freshman series of the year. It ranked as the #2 non-news/sports cable program of the night among both P/W 25-54 and drove the network to its highest Thursday night prime rating since 2021, with the two-hour premiere already reaching more than 5.2 million total cross platform viewers (across linear, Max and discovery+).

“Viewers showed up for the confectionary magic of Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking,” said Betsy Ayala, Head of Content, Food, Warner Bros. Discovery. “By tapping into the incredible fandom of Harry Potter and Food Network’s reputation as a holiday programming destination, this brand new, fully immersive competition delivers elevated culinary craftsmanship executed from the breathtaking sets of the fan-favorite saga, just in time to celebrate the holiday season.” 

Capitalizing on the enduring love for Harry Potter – a global phenomenon that continues to captivate people of all ages around the world – the ground-breaking series blends legendary storytelling and fantastical edible creations in a never-before-seen competition that has audiences at the edge of their seats.

James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley) bring their exceptional charm and behind-the-scenes anecdotes as hosts of this most magical series, joined by esteemed, culinary judges, Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef. Across the six-episode season they will also be joined by special guests Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) and Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley) who will help in evaluating the competitors’ showpieces and also share their own film stories.

Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking is produced by Warner Horizon and theoldschool for Food Network. Warner Horizon’s Bridgette Theriault and Dan Sacks serve as executive producers with theoldschool’s Robin Ashbrook and Yasmin Shackleton. 

Source: Nielsen L+3 data, reach inclusive of premieres and repeats with a 1-minute linear qualifier and 2-minute streaming qualifier, cable ranking based on impressions.

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About the Harry Potter franchise:

From the moment eleven-year-old Harry Potter met Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, his adventures have left an indelible mark on popular culture. Today, over 25 years later, the Harry Potter phenomenon thrives as one of the most successful and best-loved entertainment properties in history.

J.K. Rowling’s best-selling Harry Potter novels have been brought to life in an ever-evolving, interconnected universe which is loved by millions of fans worldwide. Eight blockbuster Harry Potter films and three epic Fantastic Beasts films bring the spellbinding action to life on screen, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child mesmerizes on stage, and state-of-the-art video and mobile games from Portkey Games allow players to experience the wizarding world like never before. Fans can proudly showcase their passion through innovative consumer products, and thrill at spectacular location-based experiences - including five theme park lands at Universal Studios locations around the world.

This expanding portfolio of Warner Bros. Discovery-owned Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts offerings includes ground-breaking touring experiences and events, each developed to celebrate special moments and locations that fans cherish, as well as the Platform 9 3⁄4 retail shops and iconic flagship store - Harry Potter New York. Wizards, Witches and Muggles alike can also discover something new as they explore behind-the-scenes secrets at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter and Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter.

With a new HBO Original TV series based on the Harry Potter books on the way, this extended world continues to provide the community with fresh and exciting ways to interact. For its global fans, and for generations to come, it invites everyone in to find the magic for themselves.

For the latest Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts news and features, visit www.wizardingworld.com.

FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers’ best friend in food and is committed to leading by teaching, inspiring, empowering and entertaining through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to more than 74 million U.S. households and draws an average of 50 million unique web users monthly with a social footprint of 71 million, while Food Network Magazine reaches 11 million readers. Food Network is part of Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD), a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world’s most differentiated and complete portfolio of content and brands across television, film and streaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products which also include: Discovery Channel, Max, discovery+, CNN, DC, Eurosport, HBO, HBO Max, HGTV, OWN, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Magnolia Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Film Group, Warner Bros. Television Group, Warner Bros. Games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, Discovery en Español, Hogar de HGTV and others. For more information, please visit www.wbd.com.