special: When Nexstar Media Group’s 75% acquisition of The CW finally closed earlier this month, it was an excellent season as TV networks bought script projects to develop new series for next season.
On the morning of the August 15 deal announcement, Nexstar executives said that under the new ownership, the CW plans to offer broader, cheaper programming, including buying syndication rates, to make the network profitable by 2025.
Since then, sources told Deadline CW Brass has reached out to the creative community, including holding agency meetings to determine its forward acquisition strategy and telling everyone that the network is open for business.
On the original scripted programming side, the network plans to expand its roster with procedural dramas and other older dramas, in addition to the CW’s signature genre shows and teen soap operas that it plans to keep, not so much. Half-hour comedies, including multi-cam sitcoms.
The general message was: Bring us what you’ve brought to The CW before, but also bring us what you haven’t brought in the past.
This is consistent with comments from Nexstar bosses that the CW’s demographic focus will change over time. Tom Carter, president and COO of Nexstar, pointed out that the new owners are highlighting the old linear biased network over digital where the vast majority of younger viewers watch CW shows, like the CW’s current roster. Riverdale all american Y Get excited Target audiences in the 18-34 age group, the average linear CW viewership is 58 years old.
The network’s new programming strategy seeks to reach these old linear audiences and expand this group. The network has done this with occasional specials: waltons Christmas Movies and Critics’ Choice Awards.
On the buy side, The CW should also be looking at a wider array of shows, including procedural dramas. (Over the years, the network has supplemented its original lineup with mostly Canadian and UK scripted series.)
The CW’s unwritten strategy does not change; The chain preferred broad programs such as: Penny and Teller: You lied to us. Y The funniest animals in the world.And there will be more in the future.
Goes beyond “Hatpin Society” and WBTV and CBS Studios
After Nexstar acquisition, previous ownership 50-50 world’s most important Y Discovery of Warner Bros. Each retained 12.5%. Its broadcast-focused studios are CBS Studios and Warner Bros., respectively. TV has been the CW’s exclusive script series providers to this day.
This will be maintained for the 2022-23 season as discussed in most of the program. Beyond that, Nexstar said it “will have the opportunity to extend its partnership” with the studios after the deal closes, but noted that the situation is highly volatile. Company executives stated that CW will be open to outside vendors in the future.
One of the first projects to test the studio’s new strategy Hatpin AssociationPeriod drama written and produced by Elisa Aron (humanly) and executive produced crazy ex girlfriend Co-creator/producer and starring Rachel Bloom and Dan Gregory. Set in 1909 New York, the film focuses on a legion of motley suffragettes who fight for equality by day and lawless justice by night, seeking revolution by any means necessary.
The project was sold directly to the network, which plans to develop it in-house before finding a studio partner. It could be CBS Studios that produced Bloom’s. crazy ex girlfriendor WBTV, but not: a significant departure from the business principles that founded The CW, which independently ushered in a new era.
Inviting third-party studios to the marquee will also change the CW’s broadcast profile; Past seasons of the network’s screenplay series are currently primarily available on Netflix or HBO Max.
Hatpin Association It joins a handful of pre-existing sales on the CW in the current development cycle, as the network and talent take a wait-and-see approach with the Nexstar acquisition still pending. Perhaps the most prominent of these is the Archie Comics drama, as Deadline reported in June. jake chang, by 3AD’s Oanh Ly, Viet Nguyen, and Daniel Dae Kim, and produced by WBTV. It’s part of The CW’s core genre efforts and reflects the network’s push for screencasts in recent years.
Acquisitions are expected to accelerate in the coming weeks as CW Brass quickly announced its post-acquisition programming strategy just days after the deal officially closes.
Mark Pedowitz, longtime CW Chairman and CEO and head of the network under new ownership, is serving as president of ABC Studios (now ABC Signature), a major provider of ABC content for a broad broadcast audience. He has extensive experience in auditing.
“I think you’ll always see enough scripted programming on the network, I think you will, and we’ve already started to change, we’re going to bring in more alternatives and more acquired programming,” he said. Nextstar reception was still pending. “I hope we get into the world of half-hour sitcoms made for the network, and hopefully it either sells or it doesn’t and if it sells, it opens up future producers and studios. For us, outside of Warner and CBS, that means more opportunities.”
The sitcom was successful on The CW throughout 2006, including an extensive multi-cam sitcom. rebahad a long life after syndication. Within a few years, the network stepped out of the comedy business.
limit spending
In closing the CW acquisition, Nexstar said it plans to cut costs significantly to ensure profitability.
Citing Kagan’s research, Carter said the CW spends “almost twice” what other broadcast networks spend on programming, a disparity that Nexstar plans to close.
Over time, the CW will take a different approach to our programming strategy and refine our experience from WGN to spending approximately $2 billion a year on programming, audience acquisition and monetization and migration of our national cable news network, NewsNation. “Keeping a tight focus on cash flow,” he said.
The CW previously owned WBTV and CBS Studios and their parents, Warner Bros. It has worked detrimentally as a network by processing a number of original scripts that created value for Discovery and Paramount Global broadcast, broadcast, and/or internationally. . . .
“Our approach is different from other broadcast network owners,” Carter said on August 15. The company will develop its programs “without the dual agenda of green programming, with the potential to move to SVOD.”
He predicted “low-cost unscripted” without detailing, and said more syndicated shows would likely be added. The CW recently produced 13 hours of programming in six nights in prime time.
Source: Deadline
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
