The CW is an American commercial broadcast television network that is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75-percent ownership interest. The network launched on September 18, 2006, as the successor to UPN and The WB, which had respectively shut down on September 15 and 17 of that same year.
In January 2007, the CW began streaming full-length episodes of several of its programs on the CWTV.com website. Due to restrictions imposed through its deal with the streaming service, streaming of the most recent episode of any CW program on Hulu is restricted until eight days after their initial broadcast, in order to encourage live or same-week (via both DVR and cable on-demand) viewing, with day-after-air streaming on either service limited to subscribers of Hulu's subscription service.
In October 2011, the network entered into digital distribution deals with streaming services Netflix and Hulu. The Netflix deal was renewed in 2016 while the Hulu deal was discontinued at this time. In 2019, the CW and Netflix opted not to renew the deal. The respective studios of CW shows would instead sell to streaming services individually. Beginning in 2020, WarnerMedia streaming service HBO Max (later rebranded to Max under Warner Bros. Discovery) would be the exclusive streaming home for Warners-produced CW shows.