Since its creation in 2006, The CW has had its ups and downs, but a lot of its recent highs can be in part attributed to the smart deal they struck with streaming services back in 2011 that delivered CW shows to Hulu and Netflix--later that deal shifted to Netflix only. There, new viewers discovered shows like 'Riverdale' and 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,' which then sent those same viewers back to The CW to catch new episodes. But all good things must come to an end, and this year, The CW decided not to keep that arrangement going. Now, viewers will be able to watch CW shows on either CBS All Access or HBO Max, the streaming services of its two parent companies, CBS and Warner Bros. Whether that will work--CBS All Access is no Netflix, and HBO Max is still untested--we shall see. And, there's always the chance of either CBS or Warner Bros buying the other out and taking over sole ownership or the network, which would once again change how to access their shows.
KCRW
