The CW is a small national broadcast network, but it’s available across the U.S. If you want to see dramas like All American and Wild Cards, or variety shows like Penn & Teller: Fool Us, there are plenty of ways to watch The CW.
We collected all the ways to watch your local The CW affiliate station (or just The CW content unattached to a TV station), no matter where you are.
What channel is The CW on near me?
There are around 200 The CW affiliate stations in the U.S., so finding one in your area shouldn’t be difficult. Here, we listed 50 major cities and the cable, satellite, and antenna TV options available for each. For more options, enter your zip code into our provider finder tool below.
The CW stations in major US cities
| City | Local affiliate channel | Cox channel | DIRECTV channel | DISH channel | Optimum channel | Spectrum channel | Xfinity channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | 19, 21 | — | 19, 21 | 19, 21 | — | — | 19, 21 |
| Atlanta, GA | 69 | — | 69 | 69 | — | 69 | 69 |
| Austin, TX | 54 | — | 54 | 54 | — | 54 | — |
| Bakersfield, CA | 17.2 | — | 17 | 17 | — | — | 17 |
| Baltimore, MD | 54 | — | 54 | 54 | — | — | 54 |
| Bronx, NY | 11 | — | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | — |
| Brooklyn, NY | 11 | — | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | — |
| Buffalo, NY | 11 | — | 11 | 11 | — | 11 | — |
| Charlotte, NC | 18 | — | 18 | 18 | — | 18 | — |
| Chicago, IL | 26 | — | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
| Cincinnati, OH | 12.2 | — | 12 | 12 | — | 12 | — |
| Cleveland, OH | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | — | 43 | — |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 21.2, 57 | — | 21.2, 57 | 21.2, 57 | — | — | 21.2, 57 |
| Columbus, OH | 53 | — | 53 | 53 | — | 53 | 53 |
| Dallas, TX | 33 | — | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 |
| Denver, CO | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | 2 |
| Detroit, MI | 50 | — | 50 | 50 | — | — | 50 |
| El Paso, TX | 7.7 | — | 7 | 7 | — | 7 | — |
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | 39.1 | — | 39 | 39 | — | — | 39 |
| Ft. Worth, TX | 33 | — | 33 | 33 | — | 33 | — |
| Fresno, CA | 59 | — | 59 | 59 | — | — | 59 |
| Houston, TX | 39 | — | 39 | 39 | — | 39 | 39 |
| Indianapolis, IN | 8 | — | 8 | 8 | — | 8 | 8 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 17 | — | 17 | 17 | — | — | 17 |
| Las Vegas, NV | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | — | — | — |
| Los Angeles, CA | 5 | — | 5 | 5 | — | 5 | — |
| Louisville, KY | 58 | — | 58 | 58 | — | 58 | — |
| Memphis, TN | 30 | — | 30 | 30 | — | — | 30 |
| Miami, FL | 39 | — | 39 | 39 | — | — | 39 |
| Milwaukee, WI | 18 | — | 18 | 18 | — | 18 | — |
| Minneapolis, MN | 23 | — | 23 | 23 | — | — | 23 |
| New York, NY | 11 | — | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | — |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | — | — | — |
| Orlando, FL | 18 | — | 18 | 18 | — | 18 | 18 |
| Philadelphia, PA | 57 | — | 57 | 57 | — | — | 57 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | — | — | — |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 19 | — | 19 | 19 | — | — | 19 |
| Portland, OR | 32 | — | 32 | 32 | — | — | 32 |
| Sacramento, CA | 31 | — | 31 | 31 | — | — | 31 |
| St. Louis, MO | 11 | — | 11 | 11 | — | 11 | — |
| St. Paul, MN | 23 | — | 23 | 23 | — | 23 | 23 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 30 | — | 30 | 30 | — | — | 30 |
| San Antonio, TX | 4.2 | — | 4 | 4 | — | 4 | — |
| San Diego, CA | 8.2 | 8 | 8 | 8 | — | 8 | — |
| San Francisco, CA | 44 | — | 44 | 44 | — | — | 44 |
| San Jose, CA | 44 | — | 44 | 44 | — | 44 | 44 |
| Seattle, WA | 11 | — | 11 | 11 | — | — | 11 |
| Tampa, FL | 44 | — | 44 | 44 | — | 44 | 44 |
| Tucson, AZ | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | — | — | 58 |
| Washington, DC | 50 | — | 50 | 50 | — | — | — |
Data effective as of post date.
Get The CW with cable or satellite
Local The CW channels are available on most cable and satellite TV services, from the biggest providers to smaller regional services. Here are four of the top cable and satellite providers we recommend and their cheapest plans:
Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Get The CW with an antenna
To receive local broadcast channels (including The CW), a one-time purchase of a digital over-the-air antenna will get you plenty of free TV with no subscription fees.
Here are two of the best antennas we reviewed at CableTV.com:
- Mohu Blade (50-mile range)—approximately $20
- Mohu Leaf (60-mile range)—approximately $60
Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Read more about over-the-air TV options in our Best Antennas for Cord-Cutters guide.
Get The CW with a live TV streaming service
Live TV streaming services, such as YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, are less expensive than cable or satellite TV subscriptions in most cases, and they don’t have annual contracts attached. But, you’re unlikely to get all your local channels (like The CW) on a live TV streaming service, and you’ll need a solid internet connection (at least 25Mbps) to stream without buffering.
Here are our top live TV streaming services that carry The CW channels, either live or on-demand:
- YouTube TV—$82.99/mo.
- Hulu + Live TV—$81.99–$95.99/mo.
- Fubo—$14.99–$94.99/mo.
- DIRECTV STREAM—$84.99–$164.99/mo.
Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Is internet-streamed live TV for you? Check out our Best Live TV Streaming Services guide.
Get The CW with CWTV.com or The CW app
Unlike other major networks, The CW makes most of its current programming available for free on CWTV.com and The CW app, which you can download on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast with Google TV, Xbox One, and most smart TVs. The site and app also feature several past shows from The CW and other networks.
What’s on The CW?
Until recently, The CW’s programming consisted almost entirely of DC Comics superhero series and young adult dramas. These days, the network is diversifying its lineup with more grown-up fare, reality shows, and even live sports.
Dramas
- All American
- Good Cop/Bad Cop
- Reign
- Sullivan’s Crossing
- Superman & Lois
- Wild Cards
Sports
- ACC college sports
- Arizona Bowl
- Inside the NFL
- Local sportscasts (broadcast only)
- NASCAR on The CW
- Pac-12 football
- WWE NXT
Reality, variety, and game shows
- Crime Nation
- Masters of Illusion
- Mysteries Decoded
- Penn & Teller: Fool Us
- Police 24/7
- Scrabble
- Totally Weird and Funny
- Trivial Pursuit
What’s The CW?
The CW launched in 2006 as a co-consolidation of The WB (owned by Warner Bros.) and UPN (owned CBS/Paramount) networks—that’s where the “C” and “W” come from. In 2022, Nextar Media Group purchased a controlling interest in The CW, with Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global retaining smaller ownership stakes.
What channel is The CW on FAQ
Is The CW a free channel?
Yes, the CW is available to watch for free with an antenna via local broadcast affiliates or streaming through CWTV.com and The CW app.
Is The CW a local channel?
The CW has around 200 affiliate broadcast stations in the U.S., so The CW channel is likely available in your area.
Are local stations dropping The CW?
In September 2023, eight CW affiliate stations dropped The CW programming and went independent: KBCW (San Francisco), KMAX (Sacramento), KSTW (Seattle), WKBD (Detroit), WPCW (Pittsburgh), WPSG (Philadelphia), WTOG (Tampa-St. Petersburg), and WUPA (Atlanta).
