• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, August 10, 2023

Does CW now look like a model to become a new Fox Network?  And if so, what kind of animal might be a reference point?

Nexstar Media Group CEO Perry Sook says CW's current growth -- in terms of overall weekday programming as well as its sports portfolio -- is on a path similar to Fox.
But is this Fox 1.0 or 3.0? 

Consider that when Fox started out in the late 80s, cable TV networks were still tiny network operations in comparison to still-strong broadcast network platforms. There was room to experiment.

In the mid-1980s, Fox had almost no sports. It wasn't until 1993 that Fox got the NFL, and then in 1995 Major League Baseball. During those years, analysts believed Fox overpaid for those big sports franchises -- which turned out to be the right content bets.

Right now, The CW is not really in that spending mode -- de-emphasizing pricey scripted TV entertainment programming and replacing it with non-scripted content -- especially now in the current environment, with dual writers' and actors' strikes.

And if that were not enough, there is much more competition for The CW now compared to 50 years ago. Traditional cable TV networks are still on the scene -- more than 200 channels in addition to a wide range of premium digital channels and streaming to contend with.

Sports programming for CW? It has ACC football/basketball and LIV Golf Tour, which may not be around its present form -- especially if it goes ahead and completes its merger with the PGA Tour. Even those are not the big sports franchises that Fox had to pay for to make its mark.

From a entertainment perspective, Fox early on also dipped into edgier programming with shows like "Married... with Children," "21 Jump Street," "Beverly Hills 90210," “"House," and other TV series.

A controversial, outspoken heritage still lingers at Fox Corp., although not necessarily on Fox Television Network these days -- more with Fox News Channel. 

So that brings us full circle to Nexstar, identifying key value efforts to build its company out with national TV platforms. This would be building out news content -- from its local TV stations into NewsNation, a streaming subscription TV platform. Now Nexstar is looking to do more with The CW.

Is this the connection Nexstar is more broadly looking at, but in reverse? Fox started an entertainment network first (Fox Television Network in the mid-1980s) and then launched a cable TV news network in 1996 -- the Fox News Channel.

Perhaps CW needs a new brand name -- a la Fox -- that speaks more strongly about its transformation. Factor in "cougar," "jaguar," or "chimp" if needed. Your favorite retro-animal name mashup goes here.