The CW, which is currently home to DC's only functional universe, has seen the majority ownership change hands following the Warner-Discovery merger. Nexstar is the media group running the show now, and they've hinted at major changes coming for the network.
One thing Nexstar's promised for The CW's future is "broader and cheaper programming," which leads one to wonder if they feel that superheroes such as The Flash or Superman and Lois are just too elitist (or if they'd rather just cram the budget of a couple of episodes into more seasons of reality TV).
Per Deadline, Nexstar is taking over a 75% share in the network, which will leave Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery splitting the remaining 25% right down the middle, giving Nexstar a free hand to do whatever they want to with the network's programming. It's like the classic joke about where a 1,000-pound gorilla sits: What does the owner of 75% of your network get to see? Anything it wants, and per the new owners, what the gorilla wants is to slash costs. Nexstar's CFO, Lee Ann Gliha, indicated that the company's goal is to get the CW profitable by 2025, saying, "It’s no secret that the CW is not profitable, but this is not typical for fully-distributed broadcast or cable networks. In fact, according to SNL Kagan data, no other broadcast network operates at an ongoing loss.”
What this doesn't address is that lack of profitability as a network doesn't mean lack of profitability overall. It's impossible to imagine that T-shirts and action figures of Green Arrow and The Flash haven't shifted significantly during the runs of their respective shows' tenures, but so goes the era of squeezing every dime available from every source. Continuing on the theme of slash-and-burn, Gliha added, "We expect to invest a low 9-figure amount over this 3-year period as we implement our plan. We view this amount as a proxy for a purchase price—or an investment made over time—rather than an ongoing drag on cash flow. You know us. We are profit and cash flow focused and expect this asset to achieve profitability.”
The President of Nexstar, Tom Carter, echoed this by saying Paramount and WBD will continue to produce scripted content through 2023, but that after that the options were open (good thing Archie gang at Riverdale already planned their goodbyes). This is an indication that like any business, they're honoring already ongoing commitments and contracts, but the specification of mentioning "scripted content" is a huge red flag waving at dramas in favor of a massive reality-based programming push.
Combined with calls for a broader audience (somehow broader than the superhero genre dominating all box office), fans shouldn't keep their hopes up. With Carter ending by noting "lower unscripted costs”—unscripted as in reality TV—it's a good indication of the future of The CW. It doesn't look like even Superman can save the day.
Source: Deadline