WEBVTT - Reinventing the CW Network 0:00:08.200 --> 0:00:12.720 Welcome to Strictly Business Variety's weekly podcasts featuring conversations about 0:00:12.760 --> 0:00:16.479 the business of media and entertainment. I'm TV business writer 0:00:16.640 --> 0:00:20.560 Jennifer Monts. Dennis Miller, and Brad Schwartz took charge of 0:00:20.600 --> 0:00:23.880 the CW network last fall when they were appointed network 0:00:23.880 --> 0:00:28.520 President and entertainment President, respectively, by new owner Nextstar. With 0:00:28.600 --> 0:00:31.920 the fall TV season upon us at a particularly tumultuous 0:00:31.960 --> 0:00:35.159 time for Hollywood, I spoke with Pop TV alum Schwartz 0:00:35.520 --> 0:00:39.400 and Sony Pictures and Lionsgate TV v Miller about their sports, 0:00:39.520 --> 0:00:43.720 unscripted and acquired international content heavy slate, as well as 0:00:43.720 --> 0:00:46.000 the larger plan for the network born in two thousand 0:00:46.000 --> 0:00:49.440 and six out of the merger between CBS's UPN and 0:00:49.520 --> 0:00:53.440 Warner Brothers. The WB. Stay tuned for more after the break. 0:01:01.360 --> 0:01:03.880 And we're back with Brad Schwartz and Dennis Miller on 0:01:03.920 --> 0:01:06.160 the reinvention of the CW Network. 0:01:07.400 --> 0:01:10.039 So I'm going to start with like the most recent question, 0:01:10.120 --> 0:01:13.559 which is at what point the decision was made during 0:01:13.560 --> 0:01:17.400 the summer to alter the fall schedule given the changes 0:01:17.720 --> 0:01:19.840 from upfront time to them. 0:01:20.280 --> 0:01:22.720 You know, I don't think it's all that different. I 0:01:22.720 --> 0:01:26.120 think the biggest change was that we had All American 0:01:26.440 --> 0:01:29.240 on the schedule, which you know, at the time the 0:01:29.240 --> 0:01:31.480 strike wasn't happening, and we thought that show would deliver 0:01:31.560 --> 0:01:34.640 for fourth quarter. It's a monster of a show for us, 0:01:35.200 --> 0:01:38.039 and we were very smartly pairing that with a great 0:01:38.080 --> 0:01:43.160 show fifty first Street. When the strike impacted All American, 0:01:43.240 --> 0:01:45.479 we just had to make a little change, you know. There, 0:01:46.319 --> 0:01:48.600 So we moved our comedy block that we had talked 0:01:48.600 --> 0:01:50.520 about to Monday nights. We thought that was a good 0:01:50.800 --> 0:01:56.040 competitive night for comedies, and then on Tuesdays, we signed 0:01:56.040 --> 0:01:59.320 a great deal with NFL Films to bring Inside the 0:01:59.400 --> 0:02:03.800 NFL to the CW, which which brings the NFL, you know, 0:02:03.840 --> 0:02:07.880 the biggest sports brand in the country, a very valuable 0:02:08.000 --> 0:02:12.800 NFL Crest, a partner in NFL Films, and a forty 0:02:12.880 --> 0:02:17.040 year well known sports franchise that has won Emmys, and 0:02:17.720 --> 0:02:20.799 for the first time ever is available for sponsorship and advertising. 0:02:20.880 --> 0:02:23.800 So that was a really exciting opportunity for us to 0:02:23.880 --> 0:02:27.160 get into a partnership with the NFL. And besides that, 0:02:27.320 --> 0:02:28.400 I don't think anything else. 0:02:28.240 --> 0:02:32.839 Has changed, Dennis, the number of deals that I've made, 0:02:32.919 --> 0:02:35.240 you know, speaking about Inside the NFL, but just strictly 0:02:35.240 --> 0:02:38.280 on sports, right, there have been three since the last 0:02:38.320 --> 0:02:40.720 time that we talked, so I wanted to know how 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:43.400 that came about, how long those talks were going, and 0:02:43.840 --> 0:02:45.800 if there's more coming live. 0:02:46.760 --> 0:02:50.040 You know, we were, you know, obviously, like everyone kind 0:02:50.080 --> 0:02:53.200 of like, wow, this is a huge new development and 0:02:53.440 --> 0:02:56.959 potentially could be very interesting for CW. 0:02:57.760 --> 0:02:59.080 Obviously there's a lot. 0:02:58.960 --> 0:03:02.520 Of uh, you know, field to plow right now for 0:03:03.040 --> 0:03:05.560 the Live Folks and the p I F and the 0:03:05.600 --> 0:03:08.400 p G A, and they're doing what they're doing, and 0:03:08.800 --> 0:03:09.840 we hope it comes to. 0:03:09.760 --> 0:03:11.560 A successful conclusion. 0:03:11.600 --> 0:03:14.480 They've announced the first half of next season that we 0:03:14.520 --> 0:03:16.800 did back in New York a while ago. But you know, 0:03:16.840 --> 0:03:19.640 we're we're just fingers crossed and hope that this comes 0:03:19.680 --> 0:03:23.680 to a place where Live and PGA can you know, 0:03:23.760 --> 0:03:26.880 coexist in a good way. And I think we think 0:03:26.919 --> 0:03:29.600 that's where this will all end up. But we we 0:03:29.760 --> 0:03:33.320 you know, remain kind of cautiously optimistic, uh. And then 0:03:33.360 --> 0:03:38.280 the ACC Sean Compton, you know, Jenny, I believe, you know, 0:03:38.360 --> 0:03:41.000 had been in conversations for a long time with the 0:03:41.080 --> 0:03:44.880 Raycon Folks, which is owned by Gray, and he had 0:03:44.920 --> 0:03:48.240 really kind of initiated the conversations as the a c 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:52.720 C as Raycon was able to pull a package together 0:03:53.000 --> 0:03:57.280 of you know, top college football and basketball games given 0:03:57.320 --> 0:04:00.640 the you know, the existing incumbents in play, and so 0:04:01.520 --> 0:04:06.520 we jumped in and Sean and LeeAnne our CFO at 0:04:06.600 --> 0:04:10.200 Next Star really you know, actively were negotiating for some time, 0:04:10.320 --> 0:04:13.640 and then with the season approaching it it was moving 0:04:13.760 --> 0:04:18.599 expeditiously and ultimately we're able to you know, secure those 0:04:18.680 --> 0:04:23.719 rights and launching as you know, September ninth inside the 0:04:23.839 --> 0:04:28.839 NFL came across the transom from ross Quitoer at NFL Films, 0:04:29.480 --> 0:04:31.520 and we were delighted when we heard that there may 0:04:31.520 --> 0:04:35.000 be an opportunity to move the Emmy Award winning top 0:04:35.040 --> 0:04:38.960 show off of Showtime in HBO after all those years 0:04:39.000 --> 0:04:41.760 and have NFL Tuesday Night wrapping up the weekend and 0:04:41.800 --> 0:04:45.359 Monday night schedule. So that happened and moved, you know, 0:04:45.520 --> 0:04:51.400 very quickly, and NASCAR had been being negotiated for some time. 0:04:51.520 --> 0:04:53.520 This was really at the Next Star. 0:04:53.440 --> 0:04:57.839 Level with Perry and you know all of his team, Leanne, Shawn, 0:04:57.880 --> 0:05:01.080 the whole gang and ourselves had series of meetings with 0:05:01.120 --> 0:05:05.120 the NASCAR folks and I think these were both founder companies, 0:05:05.120 --> 0:05:09.240 the France family and Perry having started next Door and 0:05:09.320 --> 0:05:11.560 being the fifth largest shareholder in the company. There was 0:05:11.600 --> 0:05:16.320 a commonality of kind of perspectives and interests. The Extinity 0:05:16.440 --> 0:05:21.640 came up opportunistically and we pounced and you know successfully 0:05:21.680 --> 0:05:23.760 were able to make that seven year deal with them. So, 0:05:24.600 --> 0:05:28.640 you know, a lot happened very very quickly, very opportunistically. 0:05:28.680 --> 0:05:33.359 I think the combination of cable erosion creating concerns for 0:05:33.480 --> 0:05:39.160 leagues wanting this broad distribution, RSN implosion, retooling of leagues 0:05:39.160 --> 0:05:42.800 which is ongoing right now, and I think Brad and 0:05:42.839 --> 0:05:47.400 I were both very you know, surprised and excited about 0:05:47.400 --> 0:05:50.080 what was coming our way. So we went from zero, 0:05:50.440 --> 0:05:53.280 as Brat might like to say to you know, four 0:05:53.400 --> 0:05:57.400 hundred and fifty hours in twenty twenty five of sports. 0:05:58.120 --> 0:06:01.839 Yeah, I'll just put one more our button on the 0:06:01.920 --> 0:06:04.000 end of that. So yeah, so, you know, six months 0:06:04.040 --> 0:06:08.279 ago and historically zero live sports on the CW. This 0:06:08.400 --> 0:06:10.920 year we'll have over three hundred hours of live sports, 0:06:11.040 --> 0:06:13.560 and in two thousand and twenty five we'll have four 0:06:13.640 --> 0:06:16.280 hundred and fifty hours of sports, and we'll have live 0:06:16.320 --> 0:06:19.440 sports on the CW forty eight weekends a year, and 0:06:20.040 --> 0:06:24.040 that's moving very quickly into the sports business and what 0:06:24.080 --> 0:06:27.400 I love. And the other new thing that's happened is 0:06:27.560 --> 0:06:31.200 we now have CW programming hours on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, 0:06:31.640 --> 0:06:34.279 which we've never had, which also just allows for audience 0:06:34.320 --> 0:06:37.280 flow that you can talk to those audiences during the 0:06:37.400 --> 0:06:40.840 day about stuff that's coming into prime. Football can push 0:06:40.880 --> 0:06:43.480 to golf, Golf can push to college football, college football 0:06:43.520 --> 0:06:46.720 can push back to golf, and then we can you know, 0:06:46.839 --> 0:06:49.080 use all of that to promote our primetime lineup. So 0:06:49.680 --> 0:06:53.159 it's really exciting. And to answer the second part of 0:06:53.160 --> 0:06:55.839 your question that you asked, Dennis, as you can imagine, 0:06:55.880 --> 0:06:59.159 when you announce all these great big sports things, every 0:06:59.200 --> 0:07:02.320 other sports league arts calling. And so yes, I don't 0:07:02.440 --> 0:07:03.120 I don't think. 0:07:02.920 --> 0:07:05.360 We're done a little bit more for you on that rub, 0:07:05.440 --> 0:07:08.600 which is what the balance is like for you moving forward. Then, 0:07:08.720 --> 0:07:11.240 as we look at the new CW, with sports being 0:07:11.280 --> 0:07:13.520 such an important part of this, what the rest of 0:07:13.560 --> 0:07:16.160 your schedule looks like. You know, obviously there's the weekend 0:07:16.200 --> 0:07:18.800 and then there's primetime during the week and if you 0:07:18.840 --> 0:07:20.880 see more of it moving there, if there's a chance 0:07:20.880 --> 0:07:22.520 for that, and then how much time you have a 0:07:22.600 --> 0:07:25.520 program scripted and unscripted during the week and what you're 0:07:25.560 --> 0:07:27.000 looking for that balance there. 0:07:27.640 --> 0:07:29.960 Yeah, you know, I think in our lot. In Nexttar's 0:07:30.000 --> 0:07:33.360 last earnings report, our CEO mentioned how we were starting 0:07:33.440 --> 0:07:35.840 to look and feel a lot more like Fox, you know, 0:07:35.920 --> 0:07:38.320 in that we have two hours of primetime a night, 0:07:38.480 --> 0:07:42.320 and now we're getting into major sports on the weekends. 0:07:43.080 --> 0:07:46.400 Our primetime lineup is still going to be heavily entertainment programming. 0:07:47.080 --> 0:07:47.240 You know. 0:07:47.240 --> 0:07:50.520 I've always kind of thought as we evolve the CW, 0:07:50.920 --> 0:07:54.000 it'll be very balanced fifty to fifty between scripted and unscripted. 0:07:54.680 --> 0:07:57.640 And of course when we have the opportunity to put 0:07:57.720 --> 0:08:00.640 some sports into primetime, we're going to take some shots 0:08:00.920 --> 0:08:04.080 and do that. And having inside the NFL in prime 0:08:04.080 --> 0:08:06.560 time on Tuesdays, that's just where it's always been for 0:08:06.560 --> 0:08:09.240 forty years. That was kind of the easiest scheduling decision 0:08:09.240 --> 0:08:12.679 of all time. But we have some acc football games 0:08:12.680 --> 0:08:15.280 coming that will be in prime. Our first game on 0:08:15.320 --> 0:08:18.200 the ninth will be in prime, and then two weeks 0:08:18.280 --> 0:08:21.040 later we're going to have five hours of live golf 0:08:21.120 --> 0:08:24.080 leading into three and a half hours bACC football. That's 0:08:24.520 --> 0:08:26.760 eight and a half hours straight of live sports on 0:08:26.760 --> 0:08:30.440 the CW. It's just it's never happened before. So we'll 0:08:30.440 --> 0:08:33.040 put some sports into prime where we can. But really, 0:08:33.120 --> 0:08:35.360 from what we presented at the upfront, are you know 0:08:35.400 --> 0:08:38.840 two hours a night, seven nights a week is still 0:08:38.920 --> 0:08:40.760 very heavily entertainment programming. 0:08:42.400 --> 0:08:44.760 You know, as Brad said, not much changed for you 0:08:44.800 --> 0:08:47.920 all in the fall schedule, especially compared to your competitors 0:08:47.920 --> 0:08:50.959 who might have been a little riskier in making their 0:08:50.960 --> 0:08:53.600 initial decisions. So Dennis don't want to know how that 0:08:53.720 --> 0:08:57.079 ended up affecting the upfront and what sales look like 0:08:57.120 --> 0:09:00.320 and what partnerships look like going into this fall first 0:09:00.320 --> 0:09:03.400 that you guys are really modifying and changing and in 0:09:03.440 --> 0:09:04.640 control of the fall schedule. 0:09:05.559 --> 0:09:09.960 Well, we got lucky in ways because you know, we 0:09:09.960 --> 0:09:13.479 were had a number of uh, you know, high profile 0:09:13.720 --> 0:09:16.640 and high quality series that Brad and his team were 0:09:16.679 --> 0:09:20.400 able to you know, go out and dig under a 0:09:20.440 --> 0:09:23.120 lot of rocks and talk to a lot of talented 0:09:23.200 --> 0:09:27.040 production companies in the UK and Canada and elsewhere and find, 0:09:27.520 --> 0:09:31.079 you know, opportunities to put this programming on our prime 0:09:31.160 --> 0:09:34.160 time in the fall. We were ending a lot of 0:09:34.200 --> 0:09:37.880 stuff that had been already committed under the previous owners, 0:09:37.960 --> 0:09:41.120 So we were taking on a lot and running a 0:09:41.120 --> 0:09:43.560 lot of stuff. But we you know, we're fortunate to 0:09:43.559 --> 0:09:45.800 have a number of scripted series that we're just getting 0:09:45.840 --> 0:09:49.280 started on the CW. Obviously, as Brad just said, we've 0:09:49.320 --> 0:09:52.800 got sports on the weekend, and you know, Brad can 0:09:52.880 --> 0:09:55.560 tell you, but you know, we have a pretty active 0:09:56.240 --> 0:10:00.280 nonfiction slate right now that is shooting around the country. 0:10:00.800 --> 0:10:04.760 So I think compared to our competitors who were punkering 0:10:04.800 --> 0:10:09.439 down and as you know, Jenny talking publicly about selling assets, 0:10:09.559 --> 0:10:13.680 I think we were very pleased and happy to be 0:10:14.160 --> 0:10:15.400 building and buying. 0:10:16.200 --> 0:10:18.320 So we think we're we're in a pretty good. 0:10:18.240 --> 0:10:23.199 Place Brad going into this fall from a marketing perspective, 0:10:23.240 --> 0:10:25.320 you know, we talked back in May, but you were like, 0:10:25.360 --> 0:10:26.960 we've got more to com and you'll see how it 0:10:27.040 --> 0:10:29.840 rolls out so far. But promoting the fall and promoting 0:10:30.000 --> 0:10:33.480 the new CW also given that we know that this 0:10:33.600 --> 0:10:35.960 might not be exactly what things look like next fall, 0:10:36.040 --> 0:10:39.000 this could be very different, So how you're branding yourselves 0:10:39.040 --> 0:10:41.679 as the new CW with kind of an asterisk that 0:10:41.760 --> 0:10:44.440 like more to com things could change, Like we obviously 0:10:44.440 --> 0:10:46.720 don't have the same tools going into this fall that 0:10:46.760 --> 0:10:48.280 we could have to program. 0:10:49.160 --> 0:10:51.400 Yeah, I mean, look, we knew that the fall was 0:10:51.440 --> 0:10:54.199 going to be a lot of new and exciting content 0:10:54.240 --> 0:10:56.880 on the schedule, and we need to keep our powder 0:10:56.960 --> 0:10:59.560 dry and keep our marketing dollars ready for fall. We 0:10:59.760 --> 0:11:02.800 just closed our upfront and we have ratings targets to hit, 0:11:03.200 --> 0:11:04.600 and we have a bunch of new shows that we 0:11:04.679 --> 0:11:06.480 think are going to hit them, and so we want 0:11:06.480 --> 0:11:08.280 to give those shows the best chance possible. So we've 0:11:08.280 --> 0:11:10.920 saved a lot of our marketing money, you know, to 0:11:10.960 --> 0:11:14.560 promote priorities like Sullivan's Crossing, like Son of a Critch, 0:11:14.600 --> 0:11:18.200 like Inside the NFL, like f Boy Island, the sports 0:11:18.240 --> 0:11:20.640 on the weekend. So we're going to be putting a 0:11:20.640 --> 0:11:22.960 lot of money behind, you know, giving those shows a 0:11:22.960 --> 0:11:27.560 great chance. And then what comes. As Dennis said, I mean, 0:11:27.600 --> 0:11:32.080 we have ten to fifteen unscripted series currently in production 0:11:32.200 --> 0:11:36.080 shooting all over the country, our unscripted teams visiting all 0:11:36.080 --> 0:11:38.199 these places, they're constantly out of the office. But we 0:11:38.280 --> 0:11:41.920 have a lot of really ambitious, exciting, new original, homegrown 0:11:42.000 --> 0:11:45.440 unscripted content coming and then also, you know, we have 0:11:45.520 --> 0:11:49.000 about five scripted series that are that are that are 0:11:49.040 --> 0:11:51.720 going that are co productions, that are independent productions that 0:11:51.760 --> 0:11:56.480 are that got waivers and are being produced. And so 0:11:56.520 --> 0:12:01.880 we're really excited about homegrown, from scratch scripted content that's coming. 0:12:02.360 --> 0:12:04.440 And then for some of the acquisitions that we've made, 0:12:04.520 --> 0:12:06.679 be it you know, Sullivan's Crossing or some kind of 0:12:06.720 --> 0:12:09.920 a Critch, those shows are shooting second and third seasons 0:12:10.000 --> 0:12:12.480 and we are creatively involved as co producers on all 0:12:12.480 --> 0:12:15.640 of those shows. So so our scripted team is crazy 0:12:15.679 --> 0:12:18.760 busy with a whole bunch of new stuff coming in 0:12:18.840 --> 0:12:21.920 the new year, and our unscripted team is busy, and 0:12:21.960 --> 0:12:24.480 we continue with sports. When can you inside the NFL? 0:12:24.600 --> 0:12:28.360 And you know, the SoundBite I like to say is 0:12:28.400 --> 0:12:31.400 this fall, the CW will have more scripted content on 0:12:31.440 --> 0:12:33.119 its schedule than any other broadcaster. 0:12:35.400 --> 0:12:37.439 So if you had to give the best, like what 0:12:37.520 --> 0:12:39.760 you want the identity of the CW to be known 0:12:39.800 --> 0:12:41.439 as right now, and if you want to kind of 0:12:41.520 --> 0:12:44.000 leave it open for what it'll be in the future, 0:12:44.080 --> 0:12:44.840 what would you say? 0:12:45.800 --> 0:12:48.480 Yeah, you know what our goal was certainly to try 0:12:48.520 --> 0:12:50.520 and get broader, and when you look at all the 0:12:50.559 --> 0:12:52.920 broadcast networks. I mean, we are broadcast. We're not a 0:12:53.040 --> 0:12:56.280 niche cable channel. We have to reach the largest audiences possible. 0:12:56.360 --> 0:12:58.240 We need those audiences to fall in love with us, 0:12:58.240 --> 0:13:00.280 and we want to spend a lot of time with us. 0:13:01.040 --> 0:13:03.600 But if you steal some of the magic of the 0:13:03.640 --> 0:13:07.240 old CW, the CW was always a contrarian brand. There 0:13:07.280 --> 0:13:10.880 was always a more youthful brand, and I think there 0:13:10.880 --> 0:13:13.680 are some things in that world that we can put 0:13:13.679 --> 0:13:15.839 on the new CW. I think we're an underdog. I 0:13:15.880 --> 0:13:19.000 think that's a really nice place to be. We strive 0:13:19.120 --> 0:13:21.760 to be one of the you know to be big 0:13:21.800 --> 0:13:26.160 five network and all of our programming choices are pushing 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:28.160 us there. And that's why we want comedy fans and 0:13:29.120 --> 0:13:32.720 adult drama fans, and sports fans and big unscripted fans 0:13:32.760 --> 0:13:35.920 to all come here. And we are currently working on 0:13:35.960 --> 0:13:39.080 a channel redesign, not a new name, but a redesign 0:13:39.559 --> 0:13:42.120 that kind of feels elastic enough where all these things 0:13:42.320 --> 0:13:46.120 make sense all together and wraps up. But I love 0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:50.080 the idea of feeling different than the other broadcast networks, 0:13:50.080 --> 0:13:52.520 of maybe being a little more youthful in our tone, 0:13:53.080 --> 0:13:55.960 even at just so that everything feels different when you 0:13:56.000 --> 0:13:59.280 come to the CW. But we are making broad choices, 0:14:00.040 --> 0:14:02.520 but also things that and you'll see in some of 0:14:02.559 --> 0:14:05.560 our newer announcements that haven't come out yet, some really 0:14:05.559 --> 0:14:08.640 contrarian things that I think the early days of Fox 0:14:08.640 --> 0:14:10.760 when they started things like married with Children that was 0:14:10.840 --> 0:14:13.600 just different than anybody else was doing. I think you're 0:14:13.600 --> 0:14:15.280 going to see a little of that coming as well. 0:14:15.360 --> 0:14:18.560 But if we can be an underdog, a contrarian, a 0:14:18.559 --> 0:14:23.760 little more youthful, a way of combining audiences that might 0:14:23.800 --> 0:14:26.800 be in their fifties on linear and they should have 0:14:26.840 --> 0:14:29.440 a passionate connection to the CW, and then that same 0:14:29.560 --> 0:14:34.080 content reach a completely unduplicated, younger audience on streaming and 0:14:34.120 --> 0:14:37.400 make that all feel makes sense together. That's the goal. 0:14:38.840 --> 0:14:41.480 So what have you all seen from next start in 0:14:41.600 --> 0:14:45.400 terms of your spend that you've been given, the access 0:14:45.440 --> 0:14:48.800 to content spend, marketing spend in this new CW. 0:14:53.200 --> 0:14:56.440 I think Dennis nailed it before. I think you look 0:14:56.480 --> 0:14:58.160 out there at the media industry and a lot of 0:14:58.160 --> 0:15:01.480 people are contracting or hearing interviews that people give, or 0:15:01.480 --> 0:15:05.720 people aren't trying to get rid of assets. And then 0:15:05.760 --> 0:15:08.560 I look at the CW and gosh, I we have 0:15:08.600 --> 0:15:11.480 ten or twenty positions that we're hiring for. We're hiring, 0:15:11.640 --> 0:15:15.240 we're growing, We're spending tons of money on sports rights. 0:15:16.400 --> 0:15:20.080 We're investing in scripted and unscripted and like four hundred 0:15:20.120 --> 0:15:22.640 and fifty hours original content that'll be on the CW 0:15:22.760 --> 0:15:26.800 next year. We're investing in our digital platforms. So I see, 0:15:27.440 --> 0:15:29.000 you know, I think a lot of people that come 0:15:29.000 --> 0:15:30.680 and pitch us these days are like, you guys are 0:15:30.720 --> 0:15:33.920 the only buyers in town, you know, as a joke. 0:15:34.200 --> 0:15:38.320 I think we're I think we're playing offense and that's exciting. 0:15:38.360 --> 0:15:41.480 That doesn't mean we can compete with Netflix budgets or 0:15:41.480 --> 0:15:44.400 Disney budgets, et cetera. We do have to be smarter 0:15:44.520 --> 0:15:47.800 and scrappier and find things that other in places other 0:15:47.800 --> 0:15:52.360 people aren't looking, and hit above our weight and have 0:15:52.400 --> 0:15:55.400 a high batting average at the same time. But I 0:15:55.440 --> 0:15:59.200 think we're being very aggressive and playing offense. 0:16:01.320 --> 0:16:03.960 Dennis has that it all affected the ideas of the 0:16:04.000 --> 0:16:07.560 path to profitability for the CW that were previously projected. 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:10.400 I don't think so. 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:14.560 I think that we you know that the entire company said, hey, 0:16:14.640 --> 0:16:18.280 sports is a way to drive asset value for the 0:16:18.320 --> 0:16:22.800 CW and probably the smartest you know component here visa 0:16:22.840 --> 0:16:25.160 you our local broadcasters. As you know, we have thirty 0:16:25.160 --> 0:16:30.600 plus CW stations, they've never had sports before. The MVPDs 0:16:30.640 --> 0:16:34.160 and the virtual MVPDs have made it clear that sports 0:16:34.240 --> 0:16:35.040 is really. 0:16:34.840 --> 0:16:37.080 The driver of value for consumers. 0:16:37.480 --> 0:16:41.760 We've been the beneficiary of a lot of rsns between 0:16:41.800 --> 0:16:47.080 their debt structures and the cable situation and bundles starting 0:16:47.120 --> 0:16:50.200 to decline dramatically that you know, imploded, and we've been 0:16:50.240 --> 0:16:53.200 the beneficiary of that. So I think our big boss, 0:16:53.240 --> 0:16:55.560 you know, Perry Sook, likes to say, hey, I want 0:16:55.560 --> 0:16:58.520 to play smart TV. I want to play moneyball, not 0:16:58.640 --> 0:17:02.640 interested in peak TV. That was something that Landgraft coined 0:17:02.960 --> 0:17:05.280 brilliantly at the time, and I think. 0:17:05.119 --> 0:17:07.320 Everyone's pulling back from that. But it's time to play 0:17:07.320 --> 0:17:08.480 smart TV right now. 0:17:11.800 --> 0:17:14.240 We'll be back with more from Brad and Dennis after 0:17:14.320 --> 0:17:14.840 this break. 0:17:21.119 --> 0:17:23.800 And we're back with more from Brad Schwartz and Dennis 0:17:23.800 --> 0:17:26.520 Miller on the reinvention of the CW network. 0:17:27.760 --> 0:17:29.840 I mean this was back in April, but with you 0:17:29.880 --> 0:17:32.840 all hiring your first ever chief digital officer, I want 0:17:32.880 --> 0:17:35.719 to know what that signals for the future of the CW. 0:17:35.840 --> 0:17:37.480 There are a lot of people, you know, talking about 0:17:37.520 --> 0:17:41.760 what the relationship with streaming would be post the sale, 0:17:41.800 --> 0:17:43.439 and I just want to know what you guys are 0:17:43.480 --> 0:17:44.439 planning going forward. 0:17:45.040 --> 0:17:46.960 I mean, I think a couple of things. You know, 0:17:47.040 --> 0:17:49.560 Brad likes to say the CW needs to be everywhere, 0:17:50.240 --> 0:17:52.520 and I think, you know, a brand needs to be 0:17:53.040 --> 0:17:57.320 touching consumers everywhere. And as we're seeing, you get an audience, 0:17:57.440 --> 0:17:59.840 you know, just by way of past example, an audience 0:18:00.160 --> 0:18:03.479 or all American on the CW, an audience that is, 0:18:03.600 --> 0:18:06.280 you know, median age fifty nine, an audience that's median 0:18:06.359 --> 0:18:10.560 age twenty nine for all American on the CW digital platform, 0:18:10.880 --> 0:18:13.720 and then a top ten performing show on Netflix a 0:18:13.760 --> 0:18:17.639 week later. So these shows have different audiences and different 0:18:17.640 --> 0:18:19.840 touch points and engagement. And I think a lot of 0:18:19.880 --> 0:18:23.199 people you know witness you know, Suits off of USA 0:18:23.320 --> 0:18:25.919 being the number one streaming show on Netflix today. So 0:18:26.840 --> 0:18:29.879 we made a big hire in Ashley Hovey coming out 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:33.520 of Roku. We loved the experience and knowledge she came 0:18:33.560 --> 0:18:36.359 off of one of the top performing you know, avon 0:18:36.480 --> 0:18:40.159 platforms out there. You know, Jenny what Pluto and twob 0:18:40.760 --> 0:18:43.560 and free v and Roku are doing in terms of 0:18:43.680 --> 0:18:47.200 driving audience awareness. They're now showing up on Nielsen reports here. 0:18:47.720 --> 0:18:52.520 So you're going to see over the next certainly you know, 0:18:52.600 --> 0:18:55.920 one to two years, and starting very soon, a very 0:18:55.960 --> 0:19:01.159 aggressive content acquisition strategy for the CW Digital. We're going 0:19:01.240 --> 0:19:03.440 to grow it was a bit of an afterthought under 0:19:03.440 --> 0:19:06.560 the previous owners, but generate a lot of impressions. So 0:19:06.600 --> 0:19:09.040 we're going to really focus on that twenty five to 0:19:09.119 --> 0:19:12.360 forty year old spot. The app is being upgraded dramatically, 0:19:12.480 --> 0:19:14.960 so we have you know, kind of best in class 0:19:15.400 --> 0:19:19.720 vise are ther peers and then a lot of hours 0:19:19.760 --> 0:19:23.840 and half hours and programs, fast channels and just you 0:19:23.840 --> 0:19:28.120 know on demand programming that will supplement around that twenty five. 0:19:27.960 --> 0:19:28.960 To forty year old base. 0:19:29.080 --> 0:19:32.600 So that is you know, maybe one of the biggest 0:19:32.600 --> 0:19:35.320 growth opportunities for the CW. 0:19:34.840 --> 0:19:36.320 Overall, and you're going to see. 0:19:36.119 --> 0:19:39.600 The resources and people you know, put against that under 0:19:39.640 --> 0:19:40.600 Ashley's direction. 0:19:42.880 --> 0:19:45.159 So with that, I want to know what the future 0:19:45.359 --> 0:19:48.200 any outside partnerships for streaming look like. As you all 0:19:48.200 --> 0:19:51.360 mentioned how well All American does on Netflix, So decision 0:19:51.400 --> 0:19:54.560 like that whenever that does come back what you see 0:19:54.560 --> 0:19:56.399 as those Is there more of a thought to wanting 0:19:56.440 --> 0:19:59.200 to own your own content and stream your own content 0:19:59.400 --> 0:20:01.800 or do you can those partnerships that have proved. 0:20:01.520 --> 0:20:05.280 A successful I'll let that softball go to brand. 0:20:08.800 --> 0:20:11.040 Yeah. You know, one of the one of the biggest 0:20:11.119 --> 0:20:13.359 challenges of the of the previous c W is they 0:20:13.359 --> 0:20:17.160 didn't have the rights to the content. The content was fabulous. 0:20:17.480 --> 0:20:21.200 But and as Dennis said in a week where Succession 0:20:21.359 --> 0:20:24.560 was had its finale and ted Lasso had its finale, uh, 0:20:24.840 --> 0:20:27.399 the All American on Netflix beat both of them on 0:20:27.440 --> 0:20:30.159 the Nielsen ratings, Like, we know that the CW can 0:20:30.200 --> 0:20:33.240 create hits and uh. And one of the issues with 0:20:33.280 --> 0:20:36.080 the old CW is those rights, you know, were CBS 0:20:36.160 --> 0:20:38.600 rights and they were Warner rights, and so that kind 0:20:38.640 --> 0:20:42.359 of third, fourth, fifth, sixth window on this programming was 0:20:42.400 --> 0:20:45.080 never really credited back to the c W. And all 0:20:45.160 --> 0:20:48.000 the new content we're doing, both scripted and unscripted, all 0:20:48.000 --> 0:20:52.600 those rights are ours. And so as we decide, you know, 0:20:52.680 --> 0:20:55.840 the future of CW content after we've monetized it on 0:20:55.920 --> 0:20:58.520 linear and we've made the biggest hay with it on linear, 0:20:58.920 --> 0:21:02.600 and we've monetized them our on our digital platforms. Those 0:21:02.600 --> 0:21:04.879 decisions of where else we can take that content to 0:21:04.920 --> 0:21:10.040 monetize it are now completely ours, and Ashley Hovey is 0:21:10.080 --> 0:21:13.639 working on a ton of strategies that can make sure 0:21:13.800 --> 0:21:16.879 that every CW show is watched by as many people 0:21:16.880 --> 0:21:19.679 as possible and that we are monetizing those connections everywhere 0:21:19.720 --> 0:21:23.800 it happens. So that's absolutely a top three strategy for 0:21:23.840 --> 0:21:26.160 the future of the Cwuh. 0:21:26.480 --> 0:21:28.960 You know, you've got mid season not locked at all, 0:21:29.000 --> 0:21:31.400 because no one does, but you do have a plan 0:21:31.520 --> 0:21:33.359 moving forward, and I think looking at it, you have 0:21:33.520 --> 0:21:36.720 roughly half of those shows that you've listed are done 0:21:37.000 --> 0:21:39.720 in the can and can go, but several of them aren't. 0:21:39.720 --> 0:21:41.840 So I want to know, you know, with the ongoing strikes, 0:21:42.200 --> 0:21:44.040 how soon you all feel like you need to go 0:21:44.080 --> 0:21:46.520 back into production to be able to hit a mid 0:21:46.520 --> 0:21:48.919 season target for some of those and how soon you 0:21:48.960 --> 0:21:51.439 need to rethink those being part of that grouping. 0:21:52.520 --> 0:21:56.679