The CW Riverdale finale
If you’re watching Season 2 of Riverdale and can’t catch the finale on The CW tonight in the U.S., then you might be wondering how long you’ll have to wait before you can see it on Netflix. And the answer varies depending on whether you’re watching in another country or in the United States. Here’s when you can watch the Season 2 finale on Netflix (and when you can see the rest of Season 2 of Riverdale on Netflix, for that matter.)
In the United States, Riverdale will release on Netflix within eight days of tonight’s finale airs, which means the entire season will be available no later than May 24. This means that by May 24, you’ll be able to watch the finale on Netflix if you’re in the U.S. (You can watch it on The CW online or The CW’s app much sooner than that, however. And if you’re willing to pay, Amazon and iTunes are also quicker options.)
In 2016, Netflix and The CW reached an agreement that in the United States, Netflix could stream full seasons for all of the CW’s shows starting eight days after each show’s finale. For example, The 100 Season 4 aired its finale on The CW on May 24, 2017, and Season 4 was released on Netflix on June 1, 2017. Similarly, The Flash Season 3 released on Netflix on May 31, and the final episode for the season premiered on The CW on May 23.
Outside of the U.S., you’ll get to see the Season 2 finale on Netflix a little sooner.
Outside of the United States, Riverdale is released on Netflix every Thursday, after the episode premieres in the United States. In the U.K., for example, it’s available at 8 a.m. GMT every Thursday on Netflix, just a few hours after it airs in the U.S. In fact, in most Netflix locations outside the U.S., it premieres just a few hours after it premieres in the United States. Outside of the U.S., Riverdale is branded on Netflix as a Netflix Original because of Netflix’s multi-licensing deal with The CW.
The synopsis for tonight’s episode reads: “With Fred (Luke Perry) trailing in the polls, Archie (KJ Apa) steps in to lend a hand in his dad’s mayoral campaign. Veronica (Camila Mendes) stays one step ahead after uncovering Hiram’s (Mark Consuelos) latest scheme. Elsewhere, Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) finalizes her emancipation from her mother, while FP (Skeet Ulrich) makes a surprising announcement to Jughead (Cole Sprouse) and the Serpents. Finally, Betty (Lili Reinhart) confronts her darkest demons. Marisol Nichols, Mädchen Amick, Ashleigh Murray and Casey Cott also star.”
For more details on how to live stream the finale of Riverdale, see Heavy’s story here.
