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CW: Won’t Stream ‘Gossip Girl’ Anymore, Can’t Make Me

Online fans of the CW’s Gossip Girl will just have to watch the last five eps of the show the old-fashioned way - on television. The network has said it will no longer stream new episodes for free online when the show returns on Monday.

The drama has attracted a loyal following online, but pulls only 2.5 million average viewers to its telecast, according to the Los Angeles Times.

2.5 million average viewers has not been enough to halt the CW’s financial losses or its low ratings - which have slipped more than 20 percent from last season. The first 12 episodes of the show will still be available on the website, along with exclusive content, including post-episode interviews with the show’s producer, teasers on future episodes, two-minute trailer recaps, and behind-the-scenes clips.

The show will continue to be available on iTunes, writes Adweek.

A CW spokesman said, “This is an experiment to see if we can help move the needle.”

The move may be seen by some as a strange one, considering the fact that Gossip Girl’s key demo is the 18- to 34-year-old, who is comfortable watching entertainment online, and the fact that Gossip Girl is one of the top shows downloaded from iTunes. It has also been one of the most popular streams from the CW website. Too, the internet is a key element of the plot of the show itself.

Tim Hanlon, executive vp at Denuo, a unit of Publicis, says the CW is taking a “myopic view.” While it might be an interesting experiment to see if limiting the manner of distribution will increase television ratings, it may also annoy the audience.