CW shows leaving Hulu, coming to Netflix faster

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Netflix and The CW are close to finalizing a megabucks new deal covering scripted series that significantly speeds up the availability of the shows to less than two weeks after each season ends on the network.

The expanded pact with Netflix comes as The CW and Hulu are parting ways on the deal that made selected current episodes of CW series available for streaming on a rolling-five basis.

With the Hulu deal ending, in-season streaming access to CW series will flow through the advertising-supported CWTV.com website and app as well as its affiliate stations’ VOD deals with various providers. In-season access will remain limited to a rolling-five most recent episodes, in most cases.

The limited access to episodes was the big sticking point for Hulu, which is said to have pushed The CW to offer full stacking rights — access to the full season, in other words — on its Hulu service as a condition of renewing the deal. Hulu and CW parent companies CBS and Warner Bros. negotiated on and off for months, but late last week the sides formally ended the discussions. The existing deal is believed to expire in early October.

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