For the first time in its 15-year history, The CW will program a full seven nights a week starting this fall, when it adds a two-hour Saturday primetime block to its schedule. The additional two hours will bump The CW’s programming output up to 14 hours a week.
Saturday programming will launch on October 2 with night one of the iHeartRadio Music Festival, which airs at 8 p.m. ET (and will conclude on October 3 with night two). The CW will announce its regular Saturday programming line-up when it reveals its fall 2021 schedule on May 25.
With this new change to its programming, The CW joins ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX with a full week schedule. Because The CW doesn’t air news or sports programming, that puts its entertainment programming output either on par or far ahead of the other four major broadcast networks.
The CW’s executive VP of network distribution, Betty Ellen Berlamino, shared in a press release the importance of this significant strategic programming move.
“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. 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.”
Stay tuned here for more details about The CW’s new programming schedule as they are released.
