A network change is when a

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed ...

moves from one

network Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematics ...

to another. Generally this term only refers to original episodes of a series; repeats of a long-running series will usually be picked up by other channels in

syndication Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...

, often before the series ends production. Network changes are uncommon occurrences; in most cases, pickup by a network is made conditional on giving that network the first opportunity to order additional seasons. Generally a network change will only occur if either the original network cancels the series, or the show's producers choose to move to another network for financial reasons. The latter circumstance is rare, partly because the producers would typically have to wait out an exclusive negotiation window with the original network, and—especially in the 21st century—partly because of

vertical integration In microeconomics, management and international political economy, vertical integration is a term that describes the arrangement in which the supply chain of a company is integrated and owned by that company. Usually each member of the supply ...

(specifically, major networks ordering most of their series from companies under the same corporate umbrella). Only 4% of US television shows changed networks between 2000 and 2012, excluding the one-off merger of

UPN The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that launched on January 16, 1995. It was originally owned by Chris-Craft Industries' United Television. Viacom (through its Paramount Television unit, which pr ...

and

The WB The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on terrestrial television, broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture be ...

to form

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

References

{{inc-video, date=October 2021 Network switched