The CW is set to become the first U.S. broadcaster to air the hit Biblical epic series “The Chosen.”
The three existing seasons of the series will begin airing on the network on July 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It will continue airing in that timeslot throughout the rest of the year, with the Season 3 finale scheduled to air on Christmas Eve. A fourth season of the series is currently in production, with seven seasons planned.
News of the series finding a U.S. broadcast home comes less than three weeks after it was announced that Lionsgate had acquired the worldwide distribution rights worldwide for the series. It hails from creator, director, and producer Dallas Jenkins. The show tells the story of Jesus, played by Jonathan Roumie, through the eyes of his followers.
“’The Chosen’ is based on the biggest IP of all time and is truly a one-of-a-kind series that tells this historically significant story in a captivating, dramatic and premium way,” said Brad Schwartz, president of entertainment for The CW.“This show has already connected deeply with viewers around the world, and The CW will expand its audience even further.”
“The Chosen” started out as a crowdsourcing project and has quickly grown into a serious hit. It has reportedly racked up over 110 million viewers who have watched at least one episode since it first launched. It has also pulled in $35 million at the box office in special event theatrical releases. Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Peacock and Amazon Prime Video, while Season 1 is also on Netflix. It is also available in France on Canal+, the Netherlands on NPO, Spain on MovieStar and Poland on TVP.
“The CW has always been bold and unique, which is perfect for us,” said Jenkins.“Plus, Brad Schwartz made it clear a while ago he loves and respects ‘The Chosen,’ so we know it’ll be in great hands.”
“As part of our global representation of this coveted property, we are pleased that The CW will become another great partner for ‘The Chosen,’” said Lionsgate president of worldwide television distribution Jim Packer.“This groundbreaking series already has a massive global following, and The CW platform will provide the perfect opportunity for the show to reach existing fans and inspire new ones.”
This marks the second high-profile acquisition for The CW this week. The network previously announced it would be the new home for “Inside the NFL” starting in September. The CW has largely moved away from original scripted programming, with its 2023 fall schedule filled mostly with unscripted programming and foreign acquisitions.
However, in an interview with PvNew, Schwartz said that the network is still very much in the scripted business, saying that they are currently in “phase one” of the new CW.
