EXCLUSIVE: By the time the Nexstar Media Group’s long-in-the-works 75% acquisition of the CW finally closed earlier this month, it was the height of pitch season, when broadcast networks buy scripted projects to develop as new series for next season.On the morning of the August 15 deal announcement, Nexstar toppers said that, under the new ownership, the CW would be going for broader and cheaper programming, including syndicated fare acquisitions, with the goal to make the network profitable by 2025.Since then, sources tell Deadline that CW brass have reached out to the creative community, including taking agency meetings, to lay out their buying strategy going forward and tell everyone that the network is open for business.On the original scripted programming side, in addition to the CW’s signature genre shows and teen soaps, which the network intends to keep doing — just not as many — it plans to broaden its slate by adding procedurals and other older-skewing dramas as well as half-hour comedies including multi-camera sitcoms.The overall message was: bring us what you would’ve brought to the CW before but also bring us what you wouldn’t have brought to us in the past.This jives with Nexstar brass’ comments that the demographic focus of the CW will change over time.
Indicating that the new owners would be emphasizing the older-skewing linear network vs. digital where the vast majority of younger viewers watch CW shows, Nexstar president and COO Tom Carter noted that while the CW’s current slate of shows like Riverdale, All American and The Flash target viewers in the 18-34 demographic, the average CW linear viewer is 58 years old.The network’s new programming strategy is looking to embrace these older linear viewers and
Read more on deadline.com