The CW is bringing even more live sports onto the network. The network was put on the market in early 2022 after its parent company alleged that it had never made a profit since its creation. It was eventually bought by the Texas-based company Nexstar, who announced their intention to only retain very few existing scripted shows after the 2022-2023 season, spending the next few months canceling a raft of series that included Legacies, The Winchesters, Gotham Knights, and DC's Legends of Tomorrow, among many others.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, The CW recently inked a four-year deal to air live basketball and football games from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). This deal will include 50 games, split between 13 football games, 28 men’s basketball games, and nine women’s basketball games. This marks their latest foray into sports programming after airing live LIV Golf and acquiring the show Inside the NFL.
Has The CW Lost Its Identity?
For years, programming on the CW was dominated by a handful of very specific brands. This includes glossy teen shows like The Vampire Diaries and Riverdale, and superhero series that were largely part of the interconnected, DC-derived Arrowverse like The Flash and Supergirl, and reboot series including updated versions of Charmed, Dynasty, and Roswell. So far, each of these subgenres has at least one surviving show on the network, which will still air Walker season 4, All American season 6, All American: Homecoming season 3, and Superman & Lois season 4.
However, the longevity of these series remains in question. They have largely been saddled with reduced episode cuts and slashed budgets that resulted in cutting cast , so their ratings will likely be under strict scrutiny. With scripted series on shaky ground, and the bulk of new scripted series being cheaper international acquisitions, the question remains as to what exactly the identity of the network is going to be moving forward.
The CW may indeed be trying to become a new home for sports programming. This seems possible considering the fact that the only scripted series to still have a spinoff airing alongside it is the high school football show All American. This move could also be an attempt to strike-proof their slate amid the ongoing writers strike and the newly announced SAG-AFTRA strike, though it could nevertheless shape their content for many years to come.
Source: THR