The CW has just released a new app for the Amazon Fire TV 1 and 2. Oddly enough, the app is not available for the new Fire TV Stick 2 or the old one, but hoefully that’s just a mistake that will be corrected soon. The best thing about the app is, unlike most network television apps, all the content in The CW app is available for free without the need to login with a cable provider.
Since there is no way to pay for a subscription or activate the app through a cable provider, the app is monetized by ads. While watching content through the app, you can expect to see ads as often as you would if you were watching over-the-air or through a cable provider. In a typical 1 hour long TV show, expect to see about 5 or 6 blocks of ads. As you can guess, you cannot skip the ads. The fast forward and rewind buttons on the Fire TV remote don’t work at all in this app and the on screen fast forward and rewind buttons disappear while an ad is played. While watching a show, if you fast forward past an ad before the ad starts playing, the ad block will still play once you press play.
The app consists of two main sections, a HOME screen and a SHOWS screen. The home screen highlights a few featured shows at the top via large banners that scroll horizontally. Moving down the app’s home screen takes you to a row of newly released episodes. Moving down again brings up a row of featured content.
The CW says that the 5 newest episodes of every show will be available to watch through the app. There is no way to access additional episodes, either by paying for a monthly subscription or by activating the app with a cable provider.
The SHOWS section is where you’ll find the list of all shows available to watch. At the top is a COMING SOON area highlighting upcoming new shows. Below that is a CURRENT SHOWS section, and below that is an ALSO ON THE CW section.
Selecting a show takes you to a screen with all the content available for that show. At the top is a large banner highlighting the latest episode, and below that is a horizontally scrolling row of all content related to that show. The 5 latest episode are listed first, followed by shorter clips related to the show. The clips include promos, trailers, interviews, making-of, and behind the scenes videos. At the bottom of the show screen is a description of the show.
Overall The CW app is a great addition to the Fire TV app library. Yes, you are shown many ads while watching content, but it’s great to have a free ad supported alternative to paid services, like Hulu, for new episodes of network television. I hope other networks take notice and follow suit.
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Downloaded it this morning. Now I have my FoxNow app for Gotham. My Watch ABC app for Once Upon A Time and Agents Of Shield. And CW app for Supegirl and Arrow.
Please Craig, Could you or someone that downloaded it, post the apk?
No longer on the site?
Son of a…
Looks like the app just got pulled.
They pulled the app page…
Could someone that downloaded it, post the apk?
Still there, link must have changed,
https://www.amazon.com/The-CW-Network/dp/B007P8BMTS
As far as I can tell, the app in now only compatible with the phone and tablet, and not the Fire TV. I also only have a Fire Stick at the moment, so I can’t get the app either way. Looking for some kind sole to post it.
The CW app works on the Fire Stick. I have 3 Fire Sticks and the app works fine on each of them.
How is that possible? I am on my 3rd Fire stick and have had numerous issues with all 3 of them. I have been a frequent flyer when it comes to tech support at Amazon. The one I have right now is the newest one and it hasn’t been as bad as the other 2 older ones. The tech guys have done everything they can think of and are trained for, including contacting the CW, and they still haven’t figured out why I keep getting Contact Error messages, Playback Error messages, and Go to Network Settings messages when there is no problem with my network or connection. The Playback error messages are only on the shows from the CW app.
download CW apk then side load it from ES explorer
Not available. Just shows a ugly dog with a sorry we cannot find the page.
Also the link Bevan posted is just for the Kindle version says my Fire TV is not supported.
As of 1:45PM Central Time, the CW app is back on Amazon, but only for my phone and tablet. All three of my Fire TV devices specifically show the big red “not compatible” X.
“As of 1:45PM Central Time, the CW app is back on Amazon, but only for my phone and tablet.”
Who cares. Amazon is so stupid for mixing phone and tablet versions with Fire TV only apps. Really annoying when I find a app I like but it is not compatible and don’t tell me to sidelaod the apk where you got a horrible mobile interface that requires a mouse and keyboard.
It doesn’t require a mouse and keyboard. If you have any other device, a tablet or a phone with ES File, download the apk there, then push it to the Fire Tv(with ES File launched on it). Then all it takes is the clicks of the remote.
There’s a CW app on Google Play (easier to get the apk file) but I haven’t checked if it is navigable via the fire tv remote.
I installed that apk on my nVidia Shield and it opens in phone orientation.
I got a chance to install it and it immediately shuts down after opening on the original Fire TV box.
Wonder why it got pulled? I managed to install it while it was available and my FTV2 seems to have zero problems with it.
Is it still working for you?
can you upload the apk somewhere ?
I downloaded the CW app early this morning, and then proceeded to copy the CW apk to my PC then to my other FTVs (1-2nd gen, 2-1st gens). The app opens fine, but it’s really, really buggy. On all 3 FTVs, when I start a video, it kicks me out to the home screen. I go back in, and can play the video I just got kicked out of. However, if I try another video, I get kicked to the home screen again. This doesn’t have every single time, but it happens a lot.
I did get to watch “Superhero Fight Club 2.0”, which was pretty good. Another weird thing, is if you have the app and go to “Shows” at the top, then in the “Coming Soon” section click on “Riverdale”, there’s nothing about Riverdale. The main panel on the Riverdale page is a special titled “The Best Superhero Shows Are on The CW” and there’s 3 smaller panels below that have nothing to do with Riverdale either.
Also, if you go to this CW page, in the “On Your Television” section:
http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/the-cw-app
out of 7 listed devices, only the ATV says “coming soon”. I have friends that have the latest Apple TV and they say the CW app is working fine on that device.
Again, this app is really messed up, they must have really rushed it for the FTV. With it being listed as a TV app on the CW site, I’m just assuming that the app was so buggy that either CW or Amazon pulled the app, but I would think that it will be back up as soon as they fixed all the “crashing” bugs.
Please, could someone who has downloaded and installed the APP, before it was pulled out, could post the apk so that we all could try and see how it works?
I am aware that there’s a “CW” app on the Google Play Store, that’s easier to get the apk file, but unfortunately the version of the APP is not the same, and does not work on the FireTV units…
So, I am only interested in the APP that was released on Amazon yesterday!
There is an apk posted on FireTV subreddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/fireTV/comments/552oul/new_cwtv_app_for_fire_tv_released_could_someone/
Looks like it’s back on Amazon Store for Fire TV. Installing now.
Yup, it’s back at the original link, and now it’s also compatible with the Fire TV Stick.
Thanks Joe, for letting me know that the apk has been posted on FireTV subreddit.
However as RgnKjnVA has mentioned, Looks like the new “CW APP”, that is compatible will all the FireTV models, is now back on the AmazonAPPstore and works flawlessly!
Installed it on my Fire TV (1st generation).
The show played OK until it cuts to the first commercial, then locks up with the “wheel” spinning, apparently trying to load the commercial.
Tried it last night. Then uninstalled and reinstalled the app this morning. Same problem.
Anybody else having this problem?
Don’t have this problem on my Roku.
Hooked up my Fire TV Stick and did some more experimenting.
It looks like the problem has to do with closed captions. If the closed captions are on, the video gets stuck trying to load the commercials. But if the closed captions are off, the commercials load OK and play through.
Luckily one is able to turn off the captions while the commercials are trying to load. (Press down on the cursor pad to reveal the menu, then go to CC and press select.)
This problems occurs on both my Fire TV and Fire TV Stick.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for posting this solution – I was pulling my hair out trying to watch the latest episode of the Flash on our Fire Stick with my son last night, and could not get it to work – turning of closed captions was the solution!! Thanks again!
I thought great I can see this seasons shows despite CW being removed from Dish. I loaded the app onto my FireTVstick ant tried it out. my glee was short lived when I found the app. doesn’t play with closed captions set on. I am deaf so this is totally useless to me. No CW for me this year.
Correction. The app will not play commercials with captions on. It locks at the beginning adds until the captioning is removed. When the adds are finished and the show starts the captions can be turned on and plays flawlessly until the next commercial break then stops with an error message and has to be restarted. I have just received the same error message on the 3rd add even with the captions off. A total waste of time.
Thanks for the tip. That’s insane that I have to turn on and off every time.
Thank you! You just saved me from a big headache! Looks like I won’t be watching CW shows with my deaf roommate. *sigh*
I have this app on the Amazon fire stick and it doesn’t work at all. Just sits on a loading screen. Go back to Hulu please
This happens with closed captioning on. If you turn it off it will show the commercials then when the show starts turn captions back on. It will probably lock up and need the captions turned off again at the next commercial break then repeat the cycle. It has been this way since day 1 and nobody has corrected it yet.
Why is my CW on Firestick not in HD?
Why the hell aren’t all the episodes of one season available to watch? You can’t even BUY them, really? WTH? So, now on Flash and Arrow and DC Legends and Supergirl and ALL OF THOSE………….I’m just SOL for all the episodes I missed when CW wasn’t even available on my Direct TV. Only was able to access them through Amazon Fire, but now Fire doesn’t even have the latest Season. You guys just suck. You have messed up other shows in the past too; taking off good shows. So, guess I didn’t need CW in my package after all. Isn’t worth the trouble.
At least the Arrowverse shows all end up on Netflix when the seasons over. I am pretty mad I’m cutting the cable when the 100 just started back up ahhh lol.
Looks terrible on my 80″ UHD TV because it is not in HD. Any way to get it in HD? DirectTV Now doesn’t carry CW here.