CNN+ Shutting Down After a Month

[Mr. Sparkle]

Source: Mediaite



Warner Bros. Discovery is shutting down CNN+ just three weeks after its launch, Mediaite has learned. Despite CNN executives maintaining that the CNN+ launch was a success, the network suspended the service’s marketing spending and laid off its chief financial officer earlier this week. The New York Times first reported on Thursday that the service will completely cease operations on April 30. CNN confirmed the news with its own report shortly after.

“Chris Licht, the incoming president of CNN, called an all-hands meeting among CNN+ staffers for noon on Thursday to share the news,” the Times reported. “I feel so badly for them,” a CNN insider told Mediaite, adding that CNN+ “had tons of potential” but “there were certainly some questionable programming decisions.” “A lot of young talented people gave up good jobs to go there,” they said. “That’s the really sad part.”

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/tv/breaking-cnn-shutting-down-after-just-three-weeks/

[flamingdem]

1. It was an odd pitch - lifetime subscription?

That just didn't seem right. They should have made it free for a long time to get loyal viewers.

[tritsofme]

2. These guys got high on their own supply. It never made sense who their subscribers would be.

[IronLionZion]

3. I watched through the CNN app when it was free

but can get lots of news channels through Hulu, which I already pay for. So I don't want to sign up for another service just for news.

[LisaM]

4. I don't want to stream CNN

The real appeal of CNN is its immediacy. It doesn't lend itself to streamed content or podcasts, IMO.

Plus the ads were weird, showing people taking to themselves in two sets of clothes.

[GB_RN]

5. The CNN+ Service...

Was a subscription to see their headliners gardening and giving book reviews. Who wanted to pay to see that? This was a shit idea.

Insisting that the launch was a success is Orwellian at best. Definitely a tRump-type move

[Moostache]

6. the entire streaming model is careening towards a reckoning...

Too many people are awakening to the fact that there are simply too many "services" with their own content and subscription fees that keep escalating and make things far more expensive than they were previously...

Cable
Internet
Phone (which most people do not even use but keep from previous 'bundles')

Twitch TV
XBL / GPU
PSN
Steam

YouTube TV
Amazon Prime
Disney +
ESPN +
Paramount +
Netflix
Hulu

Every single one of these business "models" is nothing more than a variation on the old "long distance calling" billing model. Taking something that already exists and exploiting people to maximize profits as long as possible.

Cable TV - especially the divide between the forced subsidy of ESPNs exorbitant rights fees and tag-on to basic cable bills - is going to be wipe out like Blockbuster Video in the wake of Netflix...which, irony of ironies, is also going to be in deep shit when the reconsolidation efforts start with Amazon-Netflix merger/buy-out followed by "+" consolidating ESPN, Hulu and Disney (which they already do) with Paramount and other small-fry pieces that missed the timing badly.

I certainly can be wrong...after all, my opinions rarely translate into great investing wealth for me!!!! LOL!

[question everything]

20. I pay enough for cable and refuse to pay extra for all these services.

The two yrs contract expires in two months, will have to renegotiate. I want TCM as part of the "bundle" not paying extra 9.95.

[JohnSJ]

7. Cut their losses

[ToxMarz]

8. Seems like they took the stuff they did late nights and weekends

To fill in for their high priced anchors off time and tried to monetize it. But it was really just filler, not news. There's already lot of filler content available, free and otherwise. CNN's brand is news.

[chowder66]

9. I'm bummed for Rex Chapman.

[bmichaelh]

10. Not a Market for it

Well some of it will be in HBO/Discovery.

There is probably not a market to pay for a separate news streaming service.
Hulu has ABC, Peacock has NBC and MSNBC, etc.

[drray23]

14. peacock has CNN as well.

between sling, peacock, amazon prime and Netflix we have access to everything we want.

[FSogol]

11. Wow, so no one would pay to see the CNN "pros" both-sides the hell out of the news?

I'm shocked!

[Galileo126]

12. All because of Amazon Prime..

Then came everything with a PLUS (+):

Discovery +
Paramount +
CNN +
Shithole Media company +

Try making your cable channels better, rather than stream crap we don't want to watch and vie for money we don't want to spend...?

arrgh,
-gali

[Laurian]

13. Streaming is getting out of hand. I let my Netflix go when

the subscription cost went up. I still have Apple TV, but am considering letting that go as well.

[onetexan]

17. Ditto i just talked to the hubby re: ditching netflix & we w get PBS Documentaries channel

Something he likes to watch & we'll pay less.

[rpannier]

21. I watch Curiosity Stream

I like the selection and there is a lot I am interested in

[Crowman2009]

15. Who the hell would pay extra for streaming news?

[SouthBayDem]

16. Quality journalism isn't free, for starters.

The problem with CNN "minus" was that it didn't provide something special/compelling that people were willing to pay for. NPR provides much superior podcasts without an extra fee.

[jgmiller]

18. Some of the replies to this thread show why CNN+ was a failure

They did a horrible job explaining it, too many people think it's just streaming CNN that they currently get for "free" via cable or whatever other service they have. It was an entirely different set of programming that was supposed to be different from regular CNN.

I think even if they properly explained it that it was a dumb idea, there are too many streaming services all looking to create content.

[question everything]

19. K&R