The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as the CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the first letters of the names of its two founding co-owners CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Nexstar acquired a 75% controlling stake in the network on October 3, 2022, with Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery (CBS Corporation and Warner Bros.'s respective successor companies) each retaining a 12.5% ownership stake.
The CW debuted on September 18, 2006 as the successor to UPN and the WB, which had both shut down that month. Its first two nights of programming—on September 18, 2006 and September 19, 2006—consisted of reruns and launch-related specials. The CW marked its formal launch date on September 20, 2006, with the two-hour premiere of the seventh cycle of America's Next Top Model. The network's programming lineup is intended to appeal mainly to viewers between the ages of 18 and 34, although from 2008 to 2011 the network shifted its programming to appeal to women in that demographic. As of August 2017, the network's audience was evenly split between men and women.