For the longest time, there were rumors that Sabrina the Teenage Witch would shoot off of The CW’s Riverdale. Hell, there were more than rumors. There were comments from the creative team of Riverdale that they’d planned to introduce in the show before letting her do her own thing, á la The Flash in Arrow.

However, it came as a bit of a shock when it turned out that The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (the latest graphic novel to utilize the character) would be adapted into a two-season series for Netflix. That’s right. Netflix, not The CW.

RELATED – Sabrina The Teenage Witch Gets 2-Season Order At Netflix

So why, after it being initially developed at The CW, would there be such a change? Well, it all comes down to ownership. Had the show ended up on The CW, it would be co-owned by CBS and Warner Bros., who co-own the network.

However, with it on Netflix, Warners will retain 100 percent ownership of the series.

“Warner Bros. is looking for any way that it can own 100 percent of their shows, and that drives a lot of decision-making there,” one top agent told THR.

Similarly, there was another witch series that The CW is keen on: a reboot of Charmed. The reason is that if CBS Studios turns that one into a series, it will retain 100 percent ownership of that show (we’re not sure of the why behind it all, but that’s what’s been reported).

At the end of the day, it just sounds like the current business model encourages Warner Bros. to go off on their own, which is understandable given the current TV climate. Plus, given how dark they want to go with Sabrina, Netflix certainly gives them the opportunity to do so. The only downside is that we won’t be able to expect Archie and the gang to stumble into her world any time soon.

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SOURCE: THR