The CW Secures In-Season Streaming Rights for Batwoman, Katy Keene, and Nancy Drew

With the end of their long-running Netflix deal, The CW is reworking numerous aspects of their digital strategy. Among them, the network has secured in-season streaming rights to all of its new series on its own digital platforms (The CW app, CWTV.com, and probably CW Seed). This means that, instead of being limited to five weeks’ worth of episodes archived on The CW’s digital components, an entire season will be available until 30 days before the start of the new season, when the shows’ more long-term digital partners will take possession of the rights. So far, those partners are exactly who you would expect.

While the rights to CW series are being worked out show by show in the post-Netflix environment, so far both CBS and AT&T/Time Warner have taken possession of their new shows for their respective streaming services. CBS All Access will be the digital home for Nancy Drew, while HBO Max will have Katy Keene and Batwoman. While those are both paid platforms a la Netflix, it is worth noting that CWTV.com, The CW app, and CW Seed are all free and do not require cable company authentication to access the episodes. That means that for fans with access to The CW’s streaming options, in-season access to their anticipated new shows will be cheaper and easier than it has been in the past.

Last week as part of the Television Critics Association presentation for the service, CBS Interactive (parent company of CBS All Access) president and COO Marc DeBevoise said that could evolve into a “long-term partnership” with all CBS TV-produced shows that air on The CW going forward. This is unsurprising, and if it happens it will likely push Warner Bros. to uniformly move The CW’s Warner Bros. shows to HBO Max. When the Netflix deal expired, the studios said that they would entertain offers from other suitors, but experts projected that the streaming services, a corporate priority for their parent companies, were likely to gobble up most of the best content.

Batwoman and Nancy Drew will premiere in October, while Katy Keene will be a midseason premiere, airing in (probably) January.

Additional reporting by Scott Huver.