The CW is making bold moves to establish itself as a major player in live sports broadcasting, with a particular focus on college football. In a recent interview with Front Office Sports, The CW’s President Brad Schwartz and Senior Vice President of Sports Mike Perman discussed the network’s strategic push into live sports, highlighting plans to acquire more college football bowl games.
Just two years ago, The CW had no presence in live sports. Since then, the Nextstar-owned broadcast network has amassed a diverse portfolio, including ACC football and basketball, select Pac-12 games featuring Oregon State and Washington State, WWE’s NXT, NASCAR’s Xfinity Series, Grand Slam Track, AVP Beach Volleyball, and the Arizona Bowl.
These additions have strengthened the network’s viewership, with FOS citing that over 40 million people have sports on The CW, giving the network five consecutive quarters of yearly growth. Schwartz describes this growth strategy to FOS as “compounded interest,” where each new sports property builds upon the last, creating a momentum that benefits the entire network. “Our affiliates and local stations are thrilled—especially when they get events that are in their local markets,” he noted. “Nobody has mass reach better than broadcast networks. Nobody has mass reach better than sports. You put the two together, and it’s the best combo.”
SVP of Sports Mike Perman told FOS that the network is looking to add more college football bowl games. “Based on the success of the bowl season last year and the Arizona Bowl, we’re taking a look to add to those to potentially add to our college landscape,” he said.
The network is home to WWE NXT on Tuesday nights, and for the first quarter of the year, the wrestling show was a knockout, giving the network its highest-rated quarter for the program in five years. Schwartz made headlines after saying that NXT has been a “game changer” as it allows The CW to compete with the Big Four in the 18-49 and 25-54 demos, elevating the network.
This fall, The CW will air nine Pac-12 games featuring Oregon State and Washington State and it could be a player in a future Pac-12 media deal. Right now, viewers can watch live AVP League volleyball matches, which are airing throughout the summer.
Schwartz highlighted the addition of live sports as a gateway to other CW programming that viewers may usually watch later or DVR. Since many can watch The CW for free with an antenna, there is one less paywall for sports fans. And for those who cannot watch events live, there is always an option to DVR, including live TV streaming services or recording with Tablo.
When Perman took over as SVP back in February, he said that he wanted to “continue to transform the network into a premier destination for fans, offering dynamic live sporting events and engaging programming.” As the sports landscape continues to change, The CW could shake things up by securing deals with a host of free agents.
MLB Sunday Night Baseball is swinging for a new deal after ending its 35-year relationship with ESPN. MLS has notably made linear TV deals internationally for Sunday Night Soccer as it continues to expand its viewership. In the world of women’s soccer, the NWSL is looking to sell another package of games. The network already airs NASCAR’s Xfinity races, yet F1 is searching for a new home after leaving ESPN, which could strengthen CW Sports motorsports offerings. Combat sports could be an option, as WWE-sister company and MMA powerhouse UFC is also trying to lock up its next media deal.
Financially, Nexstar will do what is best for the network, and every live event they add will boost awareness and drive in viewership for the next one. As more fans tune in for football and other sports, local CW affiliates achieve higher ratings. With time, going all-in on sports could be what turns The CW into a major player in broadcast TV.
Credit: Front Office Sports