CNN has confirmed plans to cease the operations of its streaming service, CNN+ on 30 April. “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 non-fiction content," Chris Licht, chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said. “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."
As a result of the closure, the service's programming will become part of Warner Bros Discovery's broader streaming offering, which is overseen by Discovery+ and HBO Max. It launched in March as a result of a merger between Discovery and CNN parent WarnerMedia. "This is not a decision about quality; we appreciate all of the work, ambition and creativity that went into building CNN+, an organisation with terrific talent and compelling programming. But our customers and CNN will be best served with a simpler streaming choice," Licht said.
Andrew Morse, exec VP and chief digital officer of CNN Worldwide and head of CNN+, has also comfirmed his departure from the company. with Alex MacCallum, CNN Worldwide head of product and CNN+ general manager, filling in to lead CNN Digital. “We are grateful to Andrew for his significant contributions to CNN Digital and CNN+ over the years,’’ Licht added.
The launch was mainly attributed to CNN president Jeff Zucker, who had driven the project. “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.”