The CW has seen the effects. The network has steadily witnessed the median age of its traditional TV audience rise to 42. By contrast, the median age for CW Seed is 23.

But CW Seed faces plenty of competition. In addition to streaming pioneers such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, traditional media companies including HBO, Showtime, CBS and NBC, have augmented their strategy to more fully embrace the digital realm that had long been viewed as a threat.

Household penetration of streaming players such as Roku, Apple TV and Google Chromecast is projected to reach 40 percent by 2017, according to New York-based research firm NPD Group.

“Consumers can access almost anything they want almost anywhere they want, whether through a legitimate outlet or not,” said Glenn Hower, an analyst with market research firm Parks Associates.

From the article "CW plants Seed for digital viewing" by Yvonne Villarreal.