The CW Is Leaving Philadelphia TV… For Now

If you're a fan of CW programs such as Riverdale, Walker, and more... heads up:

Philadelphia will lose our local CW affiliate (a little later this year).

Channel 57 will drop The CW and its primetime programming this September, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal.

A larger national move at eight stations owned by CBS is the reason, according to a report from The Philadelphia Inquirer. They say that Nester Media Group purchased a majority stake in October 2022.

Channel 57 currently airs local newscasts (via CBS Philadelphia) at 7 am and 10 pm. They will still offer two local newscasts, according to CBS Philadelphia's General Manager, Kelly Frank.

It's not clear what will happen on the station between 8 pm and 10 pm nightly without the CW programming on the station.

Will The CW Return to TV Screens in Philadelphia?

The CW was purchased by Nexstar in October, and as a part of the deal, CBS stations were allowed to pull the branding off their locally owned stations, The Business Journal reports. 

But Nexstar's CEO is confident that the CW will still air in Philadelphia.

The CW had been on Channel 57 since 2006. That's when two networks — the WB and UPN — merged to form one network.

NexStar also own PHL17, which is currently affiliated with MyNetworkTV. But it's not clear if PHL17 will add the CW programming as part of the changes.

Can I Stream the CW Programming in Philadelphia?

Yes, The CW offers free streaming of its programming. No login or subscription is required, according to their website.

You can sign up, view the schedule and start streaming here. 

We'll see what happens next.