WarnerMedia and ViacomCBS are exploring selling the CW network to Nexstar Media. According to Deadline, Nexstar Media is The CW’s largest affiliate group after its acquisition of Tribune. Nexstar Media is reportedly among the interested buyers of the CW. This change happens in the midst of WarnerMedia undergoing new ownership, as AT&T has sold the company to Discovery.
What this will mean for the network’s current employees is uncertain. Variety reports that the network’s chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz released a memo to the staff saying that it was “too early to speculate what might happen.” The memo went on to encourage the staff to “continue to do what we do best, make The CW as successful and vibrant as we have always done.”
The CW network launched 15 years ago in 2016 with ViacomCBS and WarnerMedia’s Warner Bros. as its parent companies. It served as a replacement for the WB and UPN. Like those networks, the network primarily appeals to younger audiences, with its shows mostly consisting of teen dramas (One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, and Riverdale) and DC’s Arrowverse (Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Superman & Lois).
This potential sale is at a time when the network is thriving and growing. This season is expanding into Saturday night. They have more original shows coming out and their streaming services are evolving. Meanwhile, Nexstar Media is the largest owner of TV stations, having as many stations as CBS, NBC, and ABC affiliates. The CW could very well be the next on Nexstar Media’s long list of owned stations.
