The CW television network was launched on September 18, 2006 and is a successor to The WB and UPN. Since both networks were losing money and consistently last in the ratings, CBS and Warner Bros. announced their combination into The CW (which stands for CBS Warner) on January 24, 2006.

Similar to its predecessors, The CW targets the 18-34 year-old audience and gears its programming toward these viewers. On Wednesday, September 20, 2006, The CW officially debuted with a 2-hour premiere of America's Next Top Model. The launch continued for the following two weeks with season premieres of each of the network's series. Like FOX, The CW offers a 13 hour primetime lineup from 8:00-10:00 PM EST Monday through Friday and 7:00-10:00 PM EST on Sundays.

The conclusion of its first season on air brought the cancellation of 6 of its programs, including long-running 7th Heaven and Gilmore Girls, cult favorite Veronica Mars, and the first new CW series, Runaway. During its sophomore season on air, The CW will feature 6 new series and 7 returning series.

The CW is currently headed by President of Entertainment Dawn Ostroff.