CNN+ to Cease Operations One Month After Launch
Paul Dailly
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CNN's foray into the world of streaming is over.
Per The New York Times, CNN+ will close down for good on Saturday, April 30.
The streaming service launched on March 29 with a wide array of programming featuring CNN staples.
It costs $6 per month or $60 per year.
Warning signs started to emerge earlier this month when Axios reported that Warner Bros. Discovery had nixed external marketing spend for the new streamer.
Typically, there would be a huge marketing push for such a new service, but it seems the decision to scrap the service was made weeks ago.
The series reportedly has around 150,000 subscribers, which is probably a decent figure when you consider the niche nature of CNN+ in relation to other streaming services.
The decision to cease the service leaves all of the content without a home, and because the service was in its infancy, several projects were in the works.
It remains to be seen whether any of that content will wind up at another destination, possibly on the merged streaming service HBO Max and Discovery+ when it inevitably launches.
David Zaslav, the chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, has hinted that all of the Warner Bros. Discovery services will operate under the same service eventually.
The Warner Bros. and Discovery deal officially closed earlier this month, meaning that there will be some big changes across Warner Bros. Discovery in the near future.
The streaming market is becoming oversaturated thanks to the number of current services.
For the first time, Netflix announced it had lost 600,000 subscribers in the U.S. alone during the first quarter of the year.
CNN+ was seen as a big gamble in the streaming market.
Quibi was a big gamble a few years ago with bite-sized chapters of content, but the service, unfortunately, did not stand the test of time.
What are your thoughts on the demise of the service so soon?
Hit the comments below.
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
