People just aren’t watching CNN.
Warner Bros. Discovery has officially determined that CNN+ would cease operations at the end of April. This was caused by the network’s failure to gain an audience since its launch.
“As we become Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN will be strongest as part of WBD’s streaming strategy which envisions news as an important part of a compelling broader offering along with sports, entertainment, and nonfiction content,” Chris Licht, CNN Worldwide CEO, stated.
“We have therefore made the decision to cease operations of CNN+ and focus our investment on CNN’s core news-gathering operations and in further building CNN Digital,” Licht added. “This is not a decision about quality; we appreciate all of the work, ambition, and creativity that went into building CNN+, an organization with terrific talent and compelling programming. But our customers and CNN will be best served with a simpler streaming choice.”
This move comes after speculations have noted that Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s new parent company, aims to scale back since the merger between Discovery and WarnerMedia ended earlier this month. Many people were wondering why the CNN service was even launched considering the merger was well underway.
CNN+ customers will be receiving refunds on their subscription fees according to the announcement made by the company.
Andrew Morse, CNN executive vice president, and chief digital officer, who was in charge of the service will also be exiting the company.
“We are grateful to Andrew for his significant contributions to CNN Digital and CNN+ over the years,’’ Licht stated. “He and his team created a quality slate of rich and compelling content and helped produce and distribute CNN’s journalism around the world on a variety of platforms. We appreciate Andrew and everyone’s hard work and dedication.’’
“I am a great believer that change is critical – for individuals and for organizations. As the company enters an exciting period of change, it is a logical time to make a change for myself. I’ll always be rooting for CNN,” Morse said regarding his exit.
