The Flash, Arrow, & Other CW Shows May Be Heading To Netflix Faster Than Expected

According to Variety, Netflix and The CW are close to finalizing a new deal that will speed up the availability of The CW's scripted series (like The Flash and Arrow) on the popular streaming site. Under this new deal, the shows would become available on Netflix just two short weeks after each season ends on The CW. That would make it the "closest window Netflix has ever secured to the in-season period for primetime entertainment series."

In 2011, The CW struck a deal with Hulu that made "selected current episodes of CW series available for streaming on a rolling-five basis." That deal is coming to an end and attempts by both companies to renegotiate their deal fell through, allowing Netflix to step in, making a new expanded pact with The CW.

"With the Hulu deal ending, in-season streaming access to CW series will flow through the advertising-supported CWTV.com website and app as well as its affiliate stations' VOD deals with various MVPD providers," Variety reports. "In-season access will remain limited to a rolling-five most recent episodes, in most cases.

"The limited access to episodes was the big sticking point for Hulu, which is said to have pushed CW to offer full stacking rights on its Hulu service as a condition of renewing the deal. Hulu and CW parent companies CBS and Warner Bros. negotiated on and off for months but late last week the sides formally ended the discussions. The existing deal is believed to expire in early October."

So, what's the price tag on this new deal? That's hard to say since the price tag can fluctuate based on "how long a series has been on the air and how it performs." However, it is sure to be one "one of the largest output deals in the SVOD arena" and "could exceed $1 billion."

Representative for The CW, Hulu and Netflix were contacted by Variety, but all of them declined to comment on the story. Variety expects The CW-Netflix deal will be unveiled later this week.