CNN+ will close down on April 30, only one month after the launch
Key takeaways:
- Warner Bros. Discovery has chosen to close down CNN+ weeks after its release.
- CNBC said last week fewer than 10,000 people were watching CNN+ per day.
- CNN+ head Andrew Morse is exiting the firm.
- Warner Bros. Discovery leaders talked to hundreds of CNN+ employees Thursday to justify the decision to close down the service.
Warner Bros. Discovery is closing down CNN+ on April 30, weeks after the standalone streaming service was released.
“This is not a quality decision; we respect all of the work, initiative, and creativity that made CNN+, an organization with incredible talent and compelling programming,” Chris Licht, chairman, and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said in a comment on Thursday. “But our clients and CNN will be best served with a easier streaming choice.”
The firm also declared that CNN+ head Andrew Morse exits Warner Bros. Discovery after a transition period. Currently, CNN+’s general manager and head of product, Alex MacCallum, will lead CNN Digital after Morse leaves.
WarnerMedia released the standalone news service less than a month ago, on March 29. It garnered fewer than 10,000 everyday active viewers two weeks after its release, CNBC reported earlier week. The firm said consumers would get prorated repayments on subscription fees.
New CNN head Licht has been working after the scenes with other executives at Warner Bros. Discovery for some weeks to study a streaming strategy for CNN, according to a person acquainted with the matter. The determination to close down CNN+ is based on his advice, said the person who requested not to be identified because the talks were private. Licht’s official opening date isn’t till May 1.
Warner Bros. Discovery hasn’t officially drafted its streaming plans and ambitions. Still, as CNBC has earlier reported, the goal is to connect HBO Max and Discovery+ with other programming from WarnerMedia — including potentially live news and sports — and offer all of the content together as a Netflix competitor.