Founded in 2006, the CW turns 16 years old this year, which feels right considering it has always branded itself as the younger, hipper brother to the bigger networks. The buzziest series on the CW are centered on teenagers: Riverdale, a modern, supernatural update on the Archie comics, and All American, about a Black high school football player recruited to play for a school in Beverly Hills. They also have two superhero shows, Superman & Lois and The Flash, which also theoretically appeal to younger audiences. Youthful content, however, does not necessarily equal youthful viewers, which we learned this week when it was revealed that the average age of a CW viewer is 58.
In a twist worthy of Riverdale itself, which recently featured a time travel storyline, the hip, young viewers of the CW have suddenly turned middle-aged. Or maybe not. The data cited by Nexstar, a media group that has just bought a controlling interest in the network, tracks only initial viewership and some DVR viewing. It says nothing of viewing on streaming services, where younger viewers increasingly get their television. For that, the youth has options. The CW has its own streaming site where shows can be viewed for free, but they also have a licensing deal with Netflix. In other words, while it’s possible Riverdale and All American are being watched by gray-haired viewers, most of its fans are still watching it on Netflix while keeping one eye on TikTok.
