http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/446735-Q_A_The_CW_s_Dawn_Ostroff_on_Growing_Up_Fast.php
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/446733-How_The_CW_Stays_Undead.php
In a nutshell, The CW Network is a shell-company that exists only to help kick-off new series that (hopefully) become internationally successful and sell well on DVD and in syndication. TBL wasn't cancelled because it was a ratings flop, it was cancelled because nobody outside the CW had any interest in it.
It looks like The CW purposely makes a loss on most their series, with the hopes their parent companies (CBS and WB) make it back later. So basically, it doesn't even really matter if a series is getting 2 million viewers or 4 million viewers in the USA, just as long as it sells well internationally, on DVD/Blu-ray and goes into syndication.
Smallville is pretty safe then, as WB still make $$$ off of it. It's their No. 3 highest rated series, so it must recoup most of its costs from the US broadcast, but more importantly it's the CW's biggest series internationally and on DVD/Blu-ray, and once they get round to it, a potential syndicated behemoth.
And as the report highlights, The CW's new objective is to start turning a profit (as a TV network) in the coming year. There is absolutely no way they'd even risk losing Smallville, Supernatural and One Tree Hill, otherwise they'll have an even steeper hill to climb.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/446733-How_The_CW_Stays_Undead.php
In a nutshell, The CW Network is a shell-company that exists only to help kick-off new series that (hopefully) become internationally successful and sell well on DVD and in syndication. TBL wasn't cancelled because it was a ratings flop, it was cancelled because nobody outside the CW had any interest in it.
It looks like The CW purposely makes a loss on most their series, with the hopes their parent companies (CBS and WB) make it back later. So basically, it doesn't even really matter if a series is getting 2 million viewers or 4 million viewers in the USA, just as long as it sells well internationally, on DVD/Blu-ray and goes into syndication.
Smallville is pretty safe then, as WB still make $$$ off of it. It's their No. 3 highest rated series, so it must recoup most of its costs from the US broadcast, but more importantly it's the CW's biggest series internationally and on DVD/Blu-ray, and once they get round to it, a potential syndicated behemoth.
And as the report highlights, The CW's new objective is to start turning a profit (as a TV network) in the coming year. There is absolutely no way they'd even risk losing Smallville, Supernatural and One Tree Hill, otherwise they'll have an even steeper hill to climb.
