What happened to CW?

[vcr1980]

Upon learning that Walker was canceled, I discovered that the CW has changed significantly.

In 2022, Nexstar bought CW.

The network has consisted exclusively of scripted originals produced by both Warners and CBS Studios, supplemented by a few unscripted shows and low-cost Canadian series acquired to help flesh out its slate. While the network wasn’t designed to turn a profit, both studios were making money thanks in part to a 2010 $1 billion Netflix output deal, as well as international sales for well-known titles like Dynasty.

While that model proved extremely fruitful, the network’s parent companies opted against extending the Netflix deal in order to bolster their respective streamers, HBO Max and Paramount+, with CW programming instead of seeing all of their originals land on Netflix. What’s more, the need for all streamers to retain global programming rights as platforms expand into foreign markets meant an end to those lucrative international sales. Without revenue streams from Netflix and foreign sales, The CW’s business model no longer made sense, and Warners and CBS Studios began exploring sale options, leading to the sale to Nexstar. [The Hollywood Reporter, "Nexstar’s Next Battle: Making The CW Numbers Work," November 20th, 2022.]

The new strategy for the CW is to focus on reality tv, unscripted tv, politics, news, and sports.

 

[Mr Tony]

What do you want to know? They still have programming but on weekends it’s live programming like LIV Golf and college football. They also got Xfinity racing and WWE NXT coming soon.

 

[Justin Hill]

Upon learning that Walker was canceled, I discovered that the CW has changed significantly.

In 2022, Nexstar bought CW.



The new strategy for the CW is to focus on reality tv, unscripted tv, politics, news, and sports.

Ever since The CW was purchased by Nexstar, their focus has shifted from general entertainment, and now they're trying to be America's "fifth network," trying to compete with NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox for viewers...

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

They will have WWE NXT in September.

 

[Mochuf]

I think overall, it's an improvement over the the last few years. The Arrowverse really took a dump towards the end.