'Riverdale', 'The Flash', 'Jane the Virgin' may be taken off Netflix if streaming service can't strike deal with The CW
A lot has been said about nostalgic content on Netflix being the ultimate crowd pleaser, but what about its superhero shows and fan favorites from The CW? It looks like the good stuff coming from the network henceforth may not end up on the streaming platform. The two companies, who signed a "landmark" deal back in 2011 have not renewed their licensing agreement, which is set to expire this spring, Deadline has reported. The agreement had been renewed previously in 2016.
Netflix currently streams the CW favorites like 'The Flash', 'Arrow', 'Supergirl', 'Jane the Virgin' and 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend', 'Legacies' and 'Riverdale' along with shows that have captivated audiences for years together like 'The Vampire Diaries' and 'Gossip Girl'. The nonrenewal of this pact means that shows that come on the CW will not automatically land on the subscription service. The CW series are the ones that have done well on the platform traditionally.
However, don't panic yet. The past seasons of the favorites from The CW will continue to stream on the SVOD service but not without hardship - Netflix will reportedly have to gear up for some stiff competition because they will have to bid for each upcoming show. And as one can guess, the market isn't what it used to be when the deal was renewed for the first time. However, this deal wasn't just great for Netflix - it was beneficial to the network too, which was struggling at the time.
Streaming deals for their three upcoming, highly anticipated shows on the network, 'Batwoman', 'Nancy Drew' and 'Riverdale' spinoff 'Katy Keene' are being made individually, the report says. 'Batwoman' is solely owned by Warner Bros TV so there's a huge possibility that it may go from Netflix to the company's upcoming streaming platform and 'Nancy Drew' and 'Katy Keene', both by CBS TV Studios may be up for grabs. While 'Katy Keene' still may end up on Netflix since it's predecessor 'Riverdale' is on it, the report says that 'Nancy Drew' is being "shopped" to studios.
Netflix content inventory took a hit with Disney+'s launch and the company ending its output deal with Netflix, that led to Marvel Cinematic Universe movies moving on. There is also the looming possibility of it losing out of 'Friends' and 'The Office' as Warner Bros and NBC Universal may want to put their very successful shows on their own streamers.
Netflix has been trying to strengthen its library and aggressively investing in new original content with the budget climbing upto $15 billion this year.
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