TV news network CNN is launching its news and entertainment streaming service CNN+ later this month. Priced at $5.99 a month in the US, with a launch offer price of $2.99, it will feature live daily news programming, original series, true crime programmes, food and travel, CNN said. The company, which is a subsidiary of AT&T’s WarnerMedia, has reportedly invested $120m in the new service, which is expected to debut in the last week of March – at about the time Discovery Inc is due to complete its $43bn acquisition of WarnerMedia.
The FT noted this week: “CNN has been making splashy announcements in the past few months to drum up excitement around the launch of CNN+. The company has commissioned shows from its stars such as Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon and hired outsiders such as cooking influencer Alison Roman and former Fox News anchor Chris Wallace. Cable news channels including CNN, MSNBC and Fox News enjoyed record ratings during the Trump presidency, but viewership fell as the news cycle calmed. These companies face broader questions about how to adapt their businesses as television moves to online streaming services.”
