According to a report from Parent Herald, it was originally planned for "Reign" season 4 to premiere by May 2017. However, this may no longer be the case as the CW is now rumored to be pushing the show as far back as fall 2017, likely by late August or early September, to avoid premiering at the same time as HBO's "Game of Thrones."
Both shows focus on a medieval setting, although "Reign" is loosely based on true historical events while "Game of Thrones" is pure high-fantasy based on the "A Song of Ice and Fire" books by author George R.R. Martin.
Due to the similar tone and style, they target the same general demographic and the CW may be avoiding a drop in viewer ratings. "Game of Thrones" is one of the most successful shows on television today and "Reign" would potentially lose a signficant amount of viewers if it aired alongside HBO's show.
The report continues to state that a delay is still preferrable compared to the show being canceled. It has been rumored that "Reign" had been canceled due to a lackluster season 3 but if the CW is indeed moving forward then season 4 may still have a chance of properly ending the series on a high note.
It is further pointed out that similar shows that target the same demographic and age group such as "The 100" and "The Originals" are faring better in terms of critical reception and viewer ratings. It is always possible that the CW network would sooner or later cancel "Reign" to give precedence to their more successful shows.
"Reign" season 4 is still up for renewal as the show has not been mentioned for the Fall release of shows coming this year. The CW has announced an October premiere for their other shows such as "iZombie," "Legends of Tomorrow" and others but no word has yet been announced regarding "Reign" season 4, which is why many suspect it may be canceled or delayed to late 2017.
