CNN’s New Streaming Service to Shut Down a Month After It Started

CNN’s streaming service, launched on March 29, will shut down just one month after it started, the company announced on April 21.

Customers will receive prorated refunds.

CNN+ had reportedly been struggling to garner subscribers, even with special offers as low as $2.99 a month.

New management made the decision to end the service after WarnerMedia, CNN’s former parent company, merged with Discovery, according to CNN.

“In a complex streaming market, consumers want simplicity and an all-in service which provides a better experience and more value than stand-alone offerings, and, for the company, a more sustainable business model to drive our future investments in great journalism and storytelling,” Discovery executive J.B. Perrette said in a statement to news outlets.

“We have very exciting opportunities ahead in the streaming space and CNN, one of the world’s premier reputational assets, will play an important role there,” Perrette added.

CNN+ will formally close on April 30.

Joe Concha, a media analyst for The Hill, said the shutdown means CNN+ “might be the most spectacular failure we’ve seen in media history, adding, “$300 million spent for less than 30 days of existence.”

Perrette and Chris Licht, the incoming CNN CEO, informed employees of the decision in a meeting on Thursday, according to the company.

Licht claimed that the launch was “incredibly successful” and told staffers that it was “not your fault that you had the rug pulled out from underneath you.”

The decision may lead to job losses.

CNN+ was described as “a critical part of our future” by Andrew Morse, a CNN executive, in a press release before its launch.

“We’re excited for everyone to experience CNN+ and see what we’ve been working on,” Alex MacCallum, another executive, said at the time. “We have a really compelling content offering with CNN’s world class journalists and are confident in the product offered at this compelling price.”

The service offered live, on-demand, and interactive programming. It was still accepting subscribers on Thursday.

CNN+ included former Fox News host Chris Wallace, former NBC host Kasie Hunt, and CNN reporter Sara Sidner.

“The journalists I have been privileged to work with on CNN+ are world class I am so incredibly proud to be able to call them colleagues. If your organization would like a chance to benefit from their talents, my DMs are open,” Hunt wrote on Twitter.

“It’s over. It’s been the shortest most amazing ride,” Sidner added.

From The Epoch Times

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