The CW Cancels ‘All American: Homecoming’ After Three Seasons

The CW has announced that it will not be renewing “All American: Homecoming,” the first and only spinoff of the hit football drama “All American.” The series, which debuted in 2022, will conclude with its upcoming third season, premiering in July 2024.

Although the network has not provided an official reason for the cancellation, it is widely believed that financial issues played a significant role.

According to Deadline, the license fee for “Homecoming” was significantly reduced last year to between $500,000 and $750,000 per episode, and the network sought even lower fees this year.

The cost-cutting measures come as new owners Nexstar Media Group, who acquired The CW in November 2022, shift the network’s focus away from original scripted series towards more cost-effective programming such as sports and foreign imports like “Sullivan’s Creek” and “Wild Cards,” both of which are produced in Canada.

“All American: Homecoming,” which films in the United States, along with “All American” and “Walker,” is more expensive to produce. While “All American” benefits from a deal with Netflix that helps cover some costs, the streaming giant has chosen only to support “Homecoming” through its existing three seasons.

The lack of confidence in the spinoff became apparent when it was slated for a summer release rather than the network’s regular broadcast season.

“We want to thank the cast, crew, producers, NK, Marqui, and everybody at Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television for their hard work and dedication in telling these important stories for three incredible seasons,” The CW said in a statement. “The upcoming final season is the best yet and we cannot wait to share it with fans beginning on Monday, July 8.”

Showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll expressed her disappointment in her own statement:

“I’m devastated to learn that ‘All American: Homecoming’ will not be moving forward with more episodes and that this new season premiering in July will be our final one.” She continued, “However, I am so very grateful to have worked with this incredible cast and crew, led by Geffri Maya, to bring the authentic HBCU experience to your screens for the last three seasons. We made this show for the culture and thank our loyal audience and fans for taking this ride with us. We made this show so that our community, our kids (and their dreams), could be seen and celebrated every week and we are proud to say we accomplished that mission.”

“All American: Homecoming” followed Simone Hicks (Geffri Maya) and a group of students at Bringston University, a prestigious Historically Black College, as they navigated college life and pursued their dreams.

The cast included Peyton Alex Smith, Kelly Jenrette, Cory Hardrict, Sylvester Powell, Camille Hyde, Mitchell Edwards, Netta Walker, Martin Bobb-Semple, and Rhoyle Ivy King.

The cancellation of “Homecoming” is part of a broader trend at The CW, which has also seen the end of “Walker” after four seasons in May 2024, and the expected conclusion of “Superman & Lois” after its fourth season in late 2024 or early 2025. This leaves “All American,” recently renewed for its seventh season, as the only original series that predates Nexstar’s acquisition.