After months of speculation from industry observers and near-radio silence from Warner Bros. Discovery executives, the company, Thursday morning, finally revealed the streaming plans it has for CNN with the launch of CNN Max. (TVNewser)
Starting September 27 in the U.S., the feature, which will launch in beta, will offer Max viewers live content from CNN US, CNN International and other original programming. The service will also stream 24/7 and will “enable experimentation” with product features, content and originals, the company says. (TechCrunch)
It will feature content from top anchors—such as Jim Acosta, Rahel Solomon, Amara Walker, Fredricka Whitfield and Jim Sciutto—built just for the streaming app, as well as mainstay CNN programming such as Anderson Cooper 360, Amanpour and The Lead with Jake Tapper. (CNBC)
CNN Max will be available across all of Max’s subscription tiers. (The Verge)
Because of its existing contracts with cable providers, CNN cannot place the same feed it distributes to Americans on its traditional live TV channel on Max. The service is different from CNN+ in that it leans much more heavily into live news, as opposed to personality programming centered around the network’s talent. (Axios)
CNN+, a $300 million project, existed for just one month last year—launching on March 29, 2022, and shutting down on April 30, 2022—and was canceled after WarnerMedia formally merged with Discovery, in part because of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s vision to host all of the company’s brands under one streaming service, which eventually launched as Max. (Forbes)