Fans of the CW’s TV shows can now expect to see full seasons of the networks productions on Netflix in a flash.
According to Variety, The CW and Netflix are close to striking a deal that will allow for full seasons of the CW’s programs to come to the streaming service within two weeks of the the seasons finale on the network. Fans of hit shows such as Arrow and The Flash will no longer have to wait to binge watch their favorite series and catch up on what is going on in their favorite comic based universes .
The CW previously had a deal with the streaming service Hulu that provided five episodes worth of content for a current shows season on a rolling basis, meaning that those who missed a certain episode or could not keep up to date with the season would have to wait for it to appear in its entirety on sites such as Netflix. This original deal with Hulu was set in 2011 in order to ensure that the CW’s content would thrive and be able to garner an audience in order to create an viewership for each individual show. Now that the network has seen tremendous success with its original programs, they are ready to expand into the currently thriving streaming service that Netflix provides.
This deal marks the closest window that Netflix has been able to provide for primetime entertainment series currently in season.
Hulu has responded to the new deal by stating that their previous five episode deal with with the CW was not worth it from a financial standpoint. Hulu claimed that the only shows that brought in revenue and viewership were the networks two biggest shows, Arrow and The flash, meaning that a majority of the content provided by the CW was not adding to Hulu’s profits. On top of that, these two show are currently facing criticism due to fan reception of the current seasons, further diminishing the value of the deal for Hulu.
Still, fans of the content that the CW provides no longer have to wait an undisclosed and exorbitant amount of time for their favorite shows to arrive online. The new deal with Netflix is expected to be announced later this week, and should be set for a minimum of 5 years.
This move by the CW will also provide them with the opportunity to boost their own popularity on the CW’s website, as the network will still provide 5 episodes of in-season content on a rolling basis, available for streaming exclusively on the CW website.