The CW Expands Primetime Schedule to Saturdays

For the upcoming 2021-22 season, The CW Network will expand its primetime schedule to include Saturday, growing to become a full seven-day-a-week broadcast network for the first time in its history, it was announced today by Mark Pedowitz, Chairman and CEO, The CW Network. When the new season launches this fall, The CW will offer 14 hours of primetime series each week, Monday through Sunday (8:00-10:00pm ET/PT).

The CW will officially kick off its first Saturday night of primetime programming on October 2, 2021 with night one of the IHEARTRADIO MUSIC FESTIVAL (8:00-10:00pm ET/PT), with night two of IHEARTRADIO MUSIC FESTIVAL airing on Sunday, October 3 (8:00-10:00pm ET/PT). The CW’s regularly scheduled Saturday programming line-up will be announced at a later date.

While the network expands its primetime programming line-up, The CW will return the Monday through Friday (3:00-4:00pm ET/PT) afternoon block to its affiliated stations to program to their own needs. The CW Television Network launched in 2006 as America’s fifth broadcast network, with programming targeting younger viewers, a demographic highly sought after by advertisers.

Leading The CW’s efforts to expand into a full seven night broadcast network were Betty Ellen Berlamino, The CW’s Executive Vice President, Network Distribution, and Ann Miyagi, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, who worked closely with all of the network’s key affiliate partners to secure clearances across the country.

“As The CW expands and thrives, so do our affiliate partners, and everyone sees the tremendous value and the clear excitement behind the opportunity to brand and identify as a seven night network on both a national and local level,” said Betty Ellen Berlamino, Executive Vice President, Distribution, The CW. “The addition of more original programming to our Saturday primetime line-up coupled with our stations ability to now program the Monday through Friday daytime block is a win-win for all parties.”

“Becoming a seven-night-a-week network has been a long-standing goal for everyone here at The CW, and in an extremely tight broadcast environment, the ability to expand our primetime by two more hours each week is a dynamic shift that will be gladly welcomed by our clients and the agencies,” said Rob Tuck, Executive Vice President, National Sales, The CW. “Following the recent industry trend which has seen considerable contraction on a linear basis, The CW will buck that trend this season by adding a new night of original programming, creating new opportunities for us going forward.”