The age of The CW's average audience member is much older than previously thought.
In an interview with Deadline, Nexstar President and COO Tom Carter discussed how they will be "retooling the CW" by adjusting everything from lowering the subscription cost to readjusting the target audience of the network. While popular CW shows like Riverdale, All American, Arrow and Supernatural have targeted audiences from teenagers to people in their 30s. According to Carter, however, the average person watching the CW is 58 years old, so the network will shift its demographic focus to correspond with that since it is currently the lowest-rated network on broadcast television.
"Over time, we will be taking a different approach to our CW programming strategy and will leverage our experience in spending approximately $2 billion a year on programming, attracting and monetizing viewers, and transitioning NewsNation, our national cable news network, from WGN, while maintaining a strict focus on cash flow," Carter said.
Nexstar recently acquired The CW after a series of shocking cancelations, which saw the network ax many of its most popular shows, including Batwoman, which was canceled after three only seasons, and Legends of Tomorrow, both of which were shelved in April. After the acquisition, Nexstar was made The CW's majority shareholder, obtaining 75% of the network stakes. Nexstar CEO Perry Sook explained that the company would absorb the CW's debt but "not pay any cash or stock up front." The operation's goal is to ensure that The CW is profitable by 2025.
The CW went on to cancel its Vampire Diaries spinoff series Legacies, DC's Naomi, Roswell, New Mexico, 4400, In the Dark, Charmed and Dynasty. It was later announced in May that Riverdale would come to a close after Season 7. The most recent cancellation, however, was the Arrowverse series The Flash, which will receive a shortened ninth season before leaving The CW. Legacies producer Julie Pec compared the mass cancelations at The CW as to the "Red Wedding" on HBO's Game of Thrones.
In May, The CW chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz assured audiences that the network will not be leaving the superhero genre behind, despite the loss of several DC shows. Currently, a new season of DC's Stargirl is set to premiere as part of The CW's fall lineup, along with Arrowverse shows Superman & Lois and Gotham Knights. "[We're] staying in the superhero business," Pedowitz said. "We are staying working with Greg Berlanti, who has masterminded creatively The CW DC Universe."
However, Pedowitz also stated that the network would be pulling back on its superhero content. "So we're not as robust as we were in the past, but still very much there," he continued. "We started with one -- this was Arrow 10 years ago -- we have now moved to create a whole bunch of superheroes. And we're proud of it and we plan to stay in that business."
Source: Deadline