In the age of digital content, every network has their own online portal and requisite app on which to stream their shows. With CW Seed, The CW is more ambitious.

Instead of simply streaming repeats of their shows (which can be done on CWTV.com), CW Seed is a free streaming service featuring original web series and familiar shows from the past, all with connections to either what’s on The CW’s air or to the network’s younger audience.

“I’m leaning more toward describing [CW Seed] as Crackle for millennials,” said Rick Haskins, The CW’s EVP of marketing and digital programs. “We’re going to have long-form favorites, as well as original programming. For the most part, the original programming will be firmly based in comedy and they’ll always have a touchpoint to The CW broadcast.”

Vixen, an animated spin-off of Arrow and The Flash premiering Tuesday, August 25, is a perfect example of the burgeoning CW Seed model.

“One of the reasons we picked this particular show is because this is in the same world as both Arrow and Flash. And Arrow and Flash are in fact, in the show,” said Haskins. “What that gives me the opportunity to do is go out to the 10 million Facebook likes that Arrow and Flash have, and market it to them. I’ll also be able to market it on air during the Flash and Arrow repeats right now, and in the new episodes when they premiere on October 6 and 7, respectively. I can also reach out to my friends at DC Comics and have them promote it as well. This gives me a huge, huge platform to talk to comic book fans that we know are already excited for the show.”

Befitting such a series, Vixen made its first big splash at San Diego Comic-Con in July, with The CW releasing a special promo during the WB/DC night.

“Within 24 hours we already had over 1.5 million views of the video, and it reached 5 million people. That really kicked off the excitement and anticipation, and since then we’ve been keeping it warm,” Haskins said.

Unlike the Netflix or Amazon model, the six installments of Vixen will be rolled out on an episodic basis over the course of the next six weeks, allowing The CW to do different things over that time period to promote the show.

The CW not only has 20-30 second promos for every episode, but will feature behind the scenes interviews with Executive Producer Marc Guggenheim, Director James Tucker and star Megalyn Echikunwoke. In addition, “The CW on-air team is preparing exclusive promos for both Arrow and Flash that fans can only see if they go to CW Seed and watch Vixen. So you’re starting to see that synergy between on-air and digital and how we’re moving people back and forth.”

The CW is also running a giveaway on social media, giving fans a chance to win exclusive WB Vixen bags from SDCC.

“That shows synergy with Warner Bros,” said Haskins. “We’re also in synergy with CBS. They own CNET, and we have a full page in their CNET magazine, which is going to be launched next week.”

“We’re treating this not unlike the launch of a show on TV, minus millions of dollars. But the ideas, the construction, the publicity, the marketing is definitely all there,” said Haskins. “I would call this a micro-targeting campaign of people that we know are already interested in it, so we don’t have to do a scattergun approach. We can reach the people we want to reach in a very concentrated way.”

Earlier this month, the network began adding older shows to CW Seed, such as the original 1990 Flash series, as well as prematurely cancelled shows like Almost Human and The Sarah Connor Chronicles, both of which aired on Fox.

“The original Flash obviously has a touchpoint to the new Flash, and that is interesting for us. It’s doing very well in terms of people streaming it. But it also quadrupled downloads of The CW app from the week before we launched it to the week we launched it,” said Haskins. “It’s acting not only as a source of revenue for us but also a way to increase downloads of the app. It’s working on both levels.”

Hellcats is “the one that’s kicking butt,” said Haskins. The audience for the show has been illuminating for the network. “Well over 50% of viewership is on mobile phones.That tells me that this is a really fun show that people can watch when they have a little bit of time, when it’s convenient for them. It’s not a heavy show. You can watch it in bits and pieces and that’s what we’re finding people are doing.”

The lightness of their programming is by design. The Veronica Mars spin-off Play it Again, Dick represents CW Seed’s M.O.: “[It has] Veronica Mars heritage, but it’s much lighter, more fun. A little more irreverent,” said Haskins.

Vixen and this initial crop of streaming shows is just the beginning.

“We’ll be announcing a slate of four or five shortly. I think you’ll see that each one has a specific connection either to our shows or to our social savvy audience,” said Haskins. “You are going to see us do a lot more long form, but it’s going to be long form that millennials grew up with. We’ll continue doing the touchpoints with shows like Vixen, and some other shows that definitely have their origins in the broadcast shows, but most of them with a comedy twist.”

CW Seed is exactly that: an app and streaming service with a comedy twist.

The CW hopes Vixen continues CW Seed’s momentum when it premieres Tuesday, August 25 at CWSeed.com.

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