Despite its younger-skewing programming and focus on teen dramas like Riverdale, the new leadership of The CW reveals that the network’s average viewer is actually much older than one might think. For the past decade, The CW has garnered a reputation for being a stable name in broadcast television. Most of its series got renewed, even the lowest-rated. That changed over the past year, as the network pulled the plug on dramas like Batwoman, Legends of Tomorrow, Naomi, Charmed, Dynasty, and others.
These cancellations were all a precursor to the news that Nexstar, the largest local TV company in the U.S., would acquire a 75% stake in The CW. Previous equal owners, Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery, will each retain a 12.5% stake in the network. Although Nexstar’s acquisition won’t close until the third quarter, the company is already taking over management of The CW. With new management come big changes, and surprising reveals.
As part of a conference call, Nexstar COO Tom Carter talked about his plans to make The CW profitable in the future. Over the course of his comments, Carter mentioned the fact that The CW is currently the lowest-rated broadcast network, which he attributed to the fact that the network’s young adult programming is targeted to the 18-to-34 demographic even though the average CW broadcast viewer is actually 58 years old. Carter’s quote, via TV Line, is included below.
“As many of you are aware, The CW is currently the lowest-rated broadcast network, which we believe largely reflects the fact that its programming is targeted for an 18-to-34 audience demographic, while the average age of the CW broadcast viewer is 58 years.”
It’s important to note, as others have, that Carter is referring to The CW’s broadcast audience. Many of the network’s young viewers are far more likely to stream their favorite series at a later point rather than watch them live as they air. It is also the case that many younger viewers are using the log-in information of their parents, which further skews the data that Carter is relying on. Yet another factor to consider is that CW shows like Riverdale are very popular on Netflix, which means audiences can binge their preferred shows without realizing that they’re watching broadcast programming. Carter’s argument is not that The CW lacks younger viewers. It’s that the broadcast viewer for The CW, which Nexstar is now targeting, tends to be much older.
As part of its new direction, it’s noted that The CW will shift to more “unscripted programming and high-quality syndicated programming.” But parts of the old leadership will remain. Mark Pedowitz, who championed iconic CW shows like Supernatural, is staying on as chairman CEO. There will also still be younger-skewing series like Gotham Knights and The Winchesters, in addition to farewell seasons for Riverdale and The Flash. But for the first time in well over a decade, and perhaps since its 2006 debut, The CW will no longer be a hub for the teen drama genre.
