Deals are coming together and falling apart between the CW Network and their streaming partners.
According to Variety, the network will soon be signing a new contract with Netflix. The deal will allow finished seasons of the CW shows to appear on the streaming service “less than two weeks” after the finale airs. This is a significant change from the months-long timeframe that is currently typical. According to the report, the deal may cost Netflix upwards of $1 billion.
On the flipside, the CW’s deal with Hulu is reportedly strained. The Variety reports indicate the network may even be pulling their shows from the service entirely. As of now, the five most recently aired episodes of shows are available on Hulu. Their sources say the company was pushing the network to extend this to full seasons of shows like Arrow, The Flash, and The Vampire Diaries, among others. If reports are correct, episodes will now be exclusively available on CWTV.com and its respective apps after the TV broadcast.
The CW signed current deals with the streaming companies in October 2011 for a five-year period. With their expiration dates approaching, the groundwork would appear to be laid for the next round of contracts to begin. Variety did not say when the Hulu change will be announced. The Netflix and CW are expected to unveil their deal later this week.
Meanwhile, CW series The Flash had its first real hint about season three’s plot. Series star Grant Gustin teased his Twitter followers saying he wouldn’t give away the title of the season’s first episode. Series creator Greg Berlanti then publicly gave him the go-ahead, prompting Gustin to reveal the title: Flashpoint. This seemingly confirms fan theories that the end of season 2’s finale would lead into DC’s Flashpoint story arc. This story involves The Flash changing his past and throwing the DC universe into a more violent alternate timeline.
FLASHPOINT. This is not drill. https://t.co/nzq2NJh9pl
— Grant Gustin (@grantgust) June 20, 2016
Netflix, Hulu, and the CW representatives did not respond to CommonGeek’s request for comment before publication. This article will be updated if they do.
