How to watch Riverdale season 7 online

KJ Apa as Archie in Riverdale season 7
(Image credit: The CW)

A blast from the past is in store when you  watch Riverdale season 7 online, even without cable. Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead and the entire gang find themselves in the strangest circumstances yet: the 1950s!

Riverdale season 7 start time, channel

Riverdale season 7 premieres Wednesday, March 29 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.

Riverdale has done time jumps and alternate universes before, but season 7 is a combination of both. The gang is transported to the world of the classic Archie comics, complete with sock hops, jukeboxes and going steady. They're all juniors in high school again, with no memory of their modern-day lives (except for Jughead).

As showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa told TVLine, the writers wanted to end the show on a high note. 

"We all kind of hunkered down and thought: ‘What can we do that is really, really special? What stories can we tell that will be fresh and meaningful?'” he explained.

In this alterna-Riverdale, Archie (KJ Apa) is keen on impressing the new girl in school, Hollywood starlet Veronica (Camila Mendes), but Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) seeks to take her recently-arrived rival down. Betty (Lili Reinhart), Toni (Vanessa Morgan) and Tabitha (Erinn Westbrook) fight back against the principal when he prevents them from writing about the murder of Emmet Till. As for Jughead, he's the only one who's retained his memory and tries to convince the gang that they're from the future.

Here's everything to know about how to watch Riverdale season 7 online. Plus, check out a promo:

How to watch Riverdale season 7 online from anywhere on Earth

Just because The CW isn't available everywhere doesn't mean you need to miss Riverdale season 7. Watching along with the rest of the internet can be pretty easy. With the right VPN (virtual private network), you can stream the show from wherever you go.

We've evaluated many options, and the best VPN is ExpressVPN. It meets the VPN needs of the vast majority of users, offering outstanding compatibility with most devices and impressive connection speeds. It's also affordable at $12.95 per month. (Signing up for longer periods of six months or a year reduces the cost even more.)

ExpressVPN

Our favorite VPN service, ExpressVPN, really shines thanks to its safety, speed and simplicity-to-use. It's also compatible with loads of devices - from iOS and Android to Roku, Apple TV and PlayStations. You'll even get an extra 3 months free if you sign up for a year, or there's a 30-day money-back guarantee if you just want to give it a try.

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, ExpressVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.S. and want to view a U.K. service, you'd select U.K. from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to your website or streaming service of choice and tune in.

How to watch Riverdale season 7 in the US

In the U.S., fans can watch Riverdale season 7 premiere Wednesday, March 29 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. 

The CW is a local network that can be accessed with one of the best TV antennas or through a cable TV package.

If you've already cut the cord, you can watch Riverdale season 7 online via several live TV streaming services, including Fubo, Hulu With Live TV and YouTube TV.

Of these options, we recommend Fubo, one of the best streaming services on the market.

Fubo

Fubo is a great alternative to a cable package. With the Pro Plan ($75 per month), you get over 120 channels, including all the local broadcast networks and top cable brands like Lifetime, AMC, E!, HGTV, FX, ESPN, Syfy and Paramount Network. 

You can watch Riverdale for free without cable via The CW app, which is available on most major streaming devices including Apple TV and Roku. New episodes drop the day after the episode airs on TV. 

How to watch Riverdale season 7: Netflix release date

International viewers in many territories — including Canada, the UK and Australia — can watch Riverdale season 7 episodes on Netflix the day after the U.S. airing.

Previous seasons of Riverdale are streaming on Netflix U.S. Season 7 will become available sometime after all episodes have aired, likely toward the end of 2023. 

Kelly Woo
Streaming Editor

Kelly is the streaming channel editor for Tom’s Guide, so basically, she watches TV for a living. Previously, she was a freelance entertainment writer for Yahoo, Vulture, TV Guide and other outlets. When she’s not watching TV and movies for work, she’s watching them for fun, seeing live music, writing songs, knitting and gardening.