CW Revamps Streaming Strategy as Netflix Deal Comes to an End, Adds ‘Schitt’s Creek’ to CW Seed

Back in May, Netflix and the CW ended their longtime deal which saw shows from the teen-centric network migrate to the streaming service eight days after their season finales. Now that the billion dollar deal has come to an end, the CW has had to re-strategize, pending the launch of HBO Max as well as the continued presence of streaming services such as CBS All Access.

Since the severance of the Netflix deal means the streaming service doesn’t get automatically get the rights to the network’s shows moving forward, the CW sold streaming rights of their three most popular upcoming shows separately. Just last week, CBS revealed that the CBS TV-produced teen drama, Nancy Drew, would be moving to its own streaming service, CBS All Access. On the other hand Batwoman and Katy Keene, which are produced by Warner Bros. TV, will move to WarnerMedia’s HBO Max.

In an effort to add to their content library, the CW also announced yesterday that they acquired streaming rights to Pop TV’s Schitt’s Creek. Seasons one to four were made available yesterday and can be found on the CW Seed app and CWSeed.com.

The CW maintains in-season streaming rights to all of its new series on its digital platforms. All episodes of those shows’ current season will be available on CWTV.com and The CW app, which does not require authentication to use.