The CW’s recent cancellations are all because of streaming and mergers

It’s been a rough few days for fans of the CW’s original programming. Not only have fan favorites like Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman been abruptly canceled, but earlier this week, the network said goodbye to other series, including Naomi, Charmed, and Roswell, New Mexico. There’s still some original content coming out for the 2022-23 season, including Gotham Knights and Supernatural’s prequel series The Winchesters, but for a network that had some of its series going on for a while, the culling was nothing short of shocking. . Add to that the news of Warners and CBS Studios currently trying to sell the network, and it feels safe to say the web could look quite different after the 2022-23 season.

The Hollywood Reporter published an investigative article on the CW’s recent events on Friday, and it all comes down to money. In 2011, current network owners Warners and CBS Studios partnered with Netflix to bring their series to that platform. (For example, a season of The Flash would air on Netflix a week after the season finale aired.) International rights also contributed to the network’s rise in the 2010s, allowing them to air original series on Friday and Sunday nights. It also contributed to the innovations of several shows over the years. Have you ever wondered why Riverdale continues? It is because it is internationally regarded as a “Netflix Original” and is treated as a relatively large issue on the platform.

But in 2019, Warners and CBS Studios, now overseen by Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global thanks to recent mergers, dealt with Netflix in favor of their respective streaming systems, HBO Max and Paramount+. As a result, Netflix’s revenue went down, and their international slowly declined as the focus was on building these newer platforms. Legends and other canceled shows like Charmed and Roswell were all included in that Netflix original deal. But now that the performances in that deal are gone, nearly all of the 2022-23 season CW series will be available to stream on The CW’s website and their app, CW Seed, which is said to be of “special interest.” is For those who want to buy the network.

Fans who have recently spent their time on social media in hopes of having their favorite show revamped or picked up by HBO Max or Paramount+ may be out of luck. Later in the Reporter’s piece, they reveal that the streamers couldn’t get their hands on a show like Legends or the canceled Vampire Diaries spin-off Legacies because they were wrapped up in that Netflix deal. While characters from Legends and Batwoman have a chance to appear in the still-aired Superman & Lois or The Flash, that may be as far as they come. By all accounts, and unless those fandoms can use their magic, those shows are dead and gone.

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Editor’s Note: The release dates in this article are based in the US but will be updated with local Australian dates as we learn more.