Why did The CW skyrocket to the top of the App Store for the first time in three years?

For the first time since October 13th, 2017, The CW’s app sat atop the list of free apps available on iOS devices, passing YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and more.

Airing the shows on the app isn’t new: The CW has routinely run its series in-season on its apps and digital networks. Riverdale has seen several season premieres since October 2017, but it never catapulted The CW app to the top of the iOS store. All American and Batwoman are relatively new, but even their past seasons didn’t contribute to massive download spikes. The bigger question is: why did it spike now? The Verge has reached out to The CW for more details.

There’s one immediate possibility: many of The CW’s top shows are returning this week. For people without a cable...

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