This article will not only explain how to watch The CW live online if you don’t have cable TV, but also how you can access TV shows from The CW on-demand for free!
How to Watch The CW Online
As with most content on cable TV, there are alternate ways to enjoy the channels and shows you want without forking over mountains of cash to a cable TV provider. The CW may be available in your area by merely using a TV antenna. However, if using a TV antenna isn’t feasible, here are a few of the cable subscription-free ways you can stream the CW online.
Stream The CW Live for Free
Locast is a non-profit public service aimed at bringing live, local channels free to home viewers via the Internet, including the CW. However, Locast is only available in select U.S. TV Markets.
While Locast is technically free, the service does interrupt its broadcast every 15 minutes or so to ask for a donation of $5. If you decide to donate, then the message is removed, and you can watch without solicitation from Locast for donations. Please, note that the service also subject to a pending lawsuit from the major broadcast networks, so while the service is currently legal, it is unknown how long that status will last.
Locast is available in the following 33 TV markets:
- Atlanta, GA
- Baltimore, MD
- Boston, MA
- Charlotte, NC
- Cleveland, OH
- Chicago, IL
- Dallas, TX
- Denver, CO
- Detroit, MI
- Houston, TX
- Indianapolis, IN
- Los Angeles, CA
- Madison, WI
- Miami, FL
- Minneapolis, MN
- New York, NY
- Orlando, FL
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Portland, OR
- Puerto Rico
- Rapid City, SD
- Raleigh-Durham, NC
- Sacramento, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Scranton, PA
- Seattle, WA
- Sioux City, IA
- Sioux Falls, SD
- Tampa Bay, FL
- Tri-Cities (TN, KY, and VA)
- Washington, D.C
- West Palm Beach, FL
However, if you live in one of those markets, Locast will allow you to stream your local The CW, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox channels, and more. You can watch just about any broadcast channel available to that local market. Locast is available to stream online at locast.org, or through the app on iOS and Android mobile devices. The Locast app is also available through AppleTV, Android TV, Roku, FireTV, AirPlay, or Google Chromecast. The only real drawback is the lack of a DVR service, but it’s free, so we can’t complain.
The CW on YouTube TV
YouTubeTV also offers The CW live in most areas of the country. The YouTube TV channel lineup consists of over 85 networks with limitless cloud DVR storage for recording your shows. Your library of recorded shows can be streamed anywhere. The CW is included in the base package for $64.99 a month. Youtube TV supports Android, iOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, and more. The YouTube TV app isn’t available on Roku. However, users can use YouTube TV through the YouTube app on Roku devices. You can read more about this service in our YouTube TV review or on their website.
Watch the CW on Hulu
Hulu is another way you can stream the CW. However, CW is only available through Hulu in certain areas. You can see which live channels, including The CW, are available in your area by using this tool to see available Hulu channels by zip code.
Hulu Live TV costs $64.99 a month and includes the following features:
- 50 hours of cloud DVR storage. (Upgrades available)
- Watch on 2 screens at once. (Upgrades available)
- Comes with 6 customizable profiles
- Includes entire Hulu streaming library
See our review of Hulu Live TV for more information and details on their service.
Watch The CW on AT&T TV
AT&T’s TV Now service is one way you can watch the CW in certain parts of the country. The service is priced at $69.99 per month. You can check out everything this service offers by signing up online or check out our AT&T TV review.
Stream The CW On-Demand
For those who want to watch TV shows from The CW On-Demand, try any of the options below.
Watch Free with the CW App
The CW app on your Apple TV, Roku, or other devices will allow you to watch CW shows on-demand for free – but that only includes the latest few episodes (about five) for most shows, with new episodes appearing one day after they air on TV. However, the following series have every episode (after they air) of current seasons available to stream free: Batwoman, Nancy Drew, DC’s Stargirl, Coroner, Swamp Thing, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Masters of Illusion, Penn & Teller: Fool Us, and Tell Me A Story. The CW app will also let you watch live events like the yearly iHeart Radio Jingle Ball.
Also, CW Seed lets you watch entire seasons of old shows (like Pushing Daisies or Whose Line is it Anyway) without a subscription. If you don’t see the show you are looking for on any of The CW apps, it’s more than likely due to streaming rights. The CW App is supported on most devices.
The CW on Netflix
Netflix is a great way to watch all but the most recent season of shows on the CW. ‘Supergirl,’ ‘All American,’ ‘Black Lightning,’ ‘The Flash,’ ‘Arrow,’ ‘Riverdale,’ ‘Supernatural,’ ‘Legacies,’ ‘Charmed,’ ‘Dynasty,’ ‘The 100,’ ‘DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,’ and ‘In The Dark’ are all for there for the taking (except the current season). A Netflix subscription costs between $8.99-$15.99 per month, depending on how many screens you need to watch at once.
Shows on The CW
Below are articles explaining how to watch popular shows airing on The CW.
For information on watching other TV channels online check out: How To Stream Specific TV Channels
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