The CW has made a pair of streaming deals, partnering with ESPN for live streams of its sports programming and with the Roku Channel for next-day runs of its entertainment offerings.
All sports that air on The CW, including college football and basketball games from the ACC, Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences, WWE NXT and NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, will also stream live on the ESPN app for subscribers to the ESPN Unlimited plan. The network’s sports package is slated to launch on ESPN in the summer. Unlike the ESPN-Fox One streaming bundle, the addition of CW sports programming to the ESPN app won’t come with an additional price tag.
“This agreement extends the reach of CW Sports and enables us to capture audiences across the best of broadcast and the best of streaming, ensuring fans can access live CW Sports wherever they are and on whatever device they prefer,” said Brad Schwartz, president of the Nexstar-owned CW.
Added Rosalyn Durant, executive vp programming & acquisitions at ESPN, “Bringing CW Sports to the ESPN App is another step in delivering more value, choice and flexibility for fans, expanding the range of live sports available within our streaming ecosystem.”
The Roku Channel deal, which goes into effect in the fall, will bring CW shows to the free streaming outlet the day after their network airing. The Roku Channel is the largest free streamer in the U.S. —based on Nielsen’s Gauge figures, it claims about 3 percent of all TV use each month.
“Partnering with Roku supercharges the reach and accessibility of The CW’s premium entertainment content,” said Schwartz. “By combining The Roku Channel’s expansive audience with The CW’s nationwide linear footprint, we’re bringing together the best of broadcast with the best of streaming to unlock unprecedented scale for our content, our audience, and our advertisers.”
The Roku deal will also include about 800 hours’ worth of shows from The CW’s library.