Netflix Gains The CW Content

LOS ANGELES: CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Television Group have signed a licensing deal with Netflix that sees previous seasons of shows airing on The CW’s current schedule available for instant streaming through the 2014-15 season.

The four-year output deal brings more than 700 hours of episodes from previous seasons of The CW programming. The agreement covers series, current or future, for after each series ends its broadcast run on the network. This brings to the streaming service Ringer, Hart of Dixie and The Secret Circle, as well as returning hits The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl, 90210, Supernatural, Nikita and One Tree Hill. All episodes of future series from The CW through the 2014-15 season will be available from Netflix as well.

“This is a forward-thinking agreement for a network whose programming occupies a unique space in the content marketplace,” said Leslie Moonves, the president and CEO of CBS Corporation. “It is a model that opens a new door for The CW programming to expand its audience reach through the terrific Netflix service, and creates a brand-new window for CBS and Warner Bros. to be paid for the content we supply the network. It also further illustrates how new distribution systems are providing premium content suppliers with additive revenue streams while still preserving traditional monetization windows.”

“This proves once again the overriding importance of content in our business, while showing how emerging platforms such as Netflix are adding value to the traditional TV ecosystem,” added Barry Meyer, the chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. “And to open a new window like this for our television product strengthens the increasing value of our powerful, deep and growing portfolio.”

“We have long admired the CW’s ability to connect so passionately and directly with a very important and difficult to reach demographic,” said Ted Sarandos, the chief content officer at Netflix. “This is programming for the on-demand generation and we hope this agreement deepens the relationships viewers already have with these powerful entertainment brands.”

“This agreement is a clear example of why content creators and providers can and will grow stronger through technology partnerships tailored to the consumer,” commented Bruce Rosenblum, the president of Warner Bros. Television Group and Office of the President. “It extends our traditional syndication windows with a strong, additive revenue play perfect for serialized dramas, and portends even greater growth opportunities for our studio as we continue to explore and define the marketplace.”

“This deal works across multiple levels for us,” said Mark Pedowitz, the president of The CW. “Not only will we be able to recruit new viewers for our shows through the powerful reach of Netflix, but it also makes The CW an even more attractive option to the creative community.”