The CW
Under Nexstar ownership, The CW is rebuilding its identity around low-cost international scripted acquisitions, a Thursday comedy block, and an expanding live sports portfolio anchored by 800-plus hours annually.
Each signal is one documented data point captured by our continuous pipeline: a trade-press mention, festival market activity, executive statement, or acquisition activity update. Higher signal volume means The CW is generating more public market activity right now.
The CW is relying largely on international acquisitions, primarily from Canada but also the UK and Australia, on the scripted side beyond a handful of existing CW dramas.
The CW is actively executing a post-acquisition reset under Nexstar Media Group majority ownership, moving decisively away from its legacy young-adult identity toward broader, cost-conscious programming. The network's most recent landmark on the scripted side is a deal with Lionsgate to acquire the five existing seasons of ABC's comedy series The Conners, a blue-collar sitcom positioned to anchor the network's designated Thursday comedy night alongside Canadian acquisitions Son of a Critch and Children Ruin Everything. The CW has also recently acquired the canceled Hallmark ranch drama Ride, and will soon become the exclusive home to the NASCAR Xfinity Series, extending a live sports footprint that already encompasses ACC, Pac-12, and Mountain West college sports, WWE NXT, PBA, PBR, and AVP.
Over the past twelve months, the dominant acquisition pattern has been international scripted content, primarily Canadian comedies and dramas, secured at programming costs low enough to support a profitability mandate. Titles including Son of a Critch (for which the CW is co-producing Season 3), Children Ruin Everything (Season 3 marking the first U.S. first-run on the network), Run the Burbs, Sullivan's Crossing, and The Spencer Sisters reflect a systematic pipeline from Canadian broadcasters. UK and Australian content rounds out the international slate. On the unscripted and sports side, the network has added PBA professional bowling and is expanding its live sports hours, reportedly surpassing 800 hours annually. Multi-platform distribution via AVOD partners such as Roku is part of the broader reach strategy as linear audiences continue to erode.
Scripted submissions with the strongest fit are international co-productions or completed series from Canada, the UK, or Australia, particularly comedies and accessible dramas with broad geographic appeal beyond coastal U.S. markets. Domestic pitches face a higher bar; the network's U.S. scripted development is limited to a handful of existing CW dramas. Decision makers tracked across the organization number 75, and the signal activity log reflects 101 records over the past twelve months, with deal velocity registering at 6 over the most recent 30-day window.
Children Ruin Everything (Canadian comedy)
FBoy Island Season 2 (broadcast rights)
Ownership by Nexstar Media Group (majority)
PBA professional bowling
Run the Burbs (Canadian comedy)
Son of a Critch (Canadian comedy)
Sullivan’s Crossing (Canadian drama)
The Chosen (Seasons 1–3) – U.S. broadcast rights
The CW is relying largely on international acquisitions, primarily from Canada but also the UK and Australia, on the scripted side beyond a handful of existing CW dramas.
Linear broadcast networks pivoting to multi-platform distribution via AVOD (Roku) and sports-specific streaming (ESPN) to extend reach beyond cord-cutting audiences
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Does The CW accept unsolicited scripts?
The CW does not have a publicized open-submission policy for unsolicited scripts. The network's current scripted strategy centers on acquiring completed or in-production international series, primarily from Canada, the UK, and Australia, rather than developing original domestic pitches from outside relationships. Writers without existing representation or a producing partner with a prior CW relationship are unlikely to find a direct submission pathway. Engaging a sales agent or producer with established ties to the network's international acquisition pipeline is the more viable route.
What budgets does The CW work with for acquisitions?
No specific acquisition prices have been disclosed for The CW's recent deals, including the Lionsgate pact for The Conners or its Canadian comedy and drama pickups. However, analyst coverage consistently frames the network's mandate as keeping programming costs low as a core profitability strategy under Nexstar ownership. This strongly implies a preference for content that can be licensed at below-market rates, including completed international series that have already recouped production costs in their home markets, rather than expensive domestic originals.
Does The CW acquire films or series from film festivals?
There is no reported evidence of The CW sourcing scripted content through film festival acquisitions. The network's acquisition pattern over the past twelve months points to structured deals with established international broadcasters and studios, such as the Lionsgate deal for The Conners and pipeline agreements with Canadian producers. Festival-sourced independent films or series are not consistent with the network's current cost-conscious, broadcast-scale programming mandate. Projects with prior broadcast runs in Canada, the UK, or Australia are a more natural fit.
How do you reach The CW's acquisitions team?
The CW operates under Nexstar Media Group majority ownership, and its acquisitions activity is tracked across 75 decision makers according to current intelligence. The most direct access pathway for scripted content is through producers or distributors already operating in the Canadian, UK, or Australian broadcast ecosystem, given the network's stated reliance on international acquisitions. For sports rights, the network is actively expanding its live portfolio. Standard industry practice applies: representation by a recognized sales agent or distributor with prior CW or Nexstar relationships is the recommended first step.
What genres is The CW focused on right now?
The CW's current genre priorities are live sports and low-cost international scripted content. On the sports side, the network carries ACC, Pac-12, and Mountain West college sports, NASCAR, WWE NXT, PBA, PBR, and AVP, with the NASCAR Xfinity Series exclusivity reportedly forthcoming. On the scripted side, Canadian comedies (Son of a Critch, Children Ruin Everything, Run the Burbs) and dramas (Sullivan's Crossing, The Spencer Sisters, Ride) dominate recent acquisitions. The Thursday comedy block is a stated programming priority. Broad-appeal, blue-collar or family-oriented content with cross-regional U.S. reach is the editorial sweet spot.
Is The CW actively acquiring content right now?
Yes, according to recent coverage and signal data. The network logged 101 activity records over the past twelve months and a deal velocity of 6 in the most recent 30-day window, with the latest signal dated late April 2026. Recent acquisitions include The Conners (via Lionsgate), the canceled Hallmark drama Ride, PBA professional bowling rights, and the forthcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series exclusivity. The scripted acquisition pipeline from Canada, the UK, and Australia remains active, with Son of a Critch Season 3 in co-production and Children Ruin Everything Season 3 already scheduled for U.S. premiere.
Profile compiled from publicly-available sources: trade press (Deadline, Variety, IndieWire, The Hollywood Reporter, Screen Daily), festival market reports (Cannes Marche, AFM, EFM, TIFF Industry), executive public statements, and acquisition announcements. Activity counters reflect signal volume from continuous pipeline indexing.
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