CNN+ to cease operations at end of April just one month after launching

The recently launched streaming service from US cable news company CNN is to cease operations on April 30.

Chris Licht (photo: Arforv via CC)

CNN+ only launched at the end of March but is an early casualty of the merger between Discovery and CNN parent WarnerMedia.

Programming from the service will become part of Warner Bros Discovery (WBD)’s broader streaming offering, which is led by Discovery+ and HBO Max.

Andrew Morse, exec VP and chief digital officer of CNN Worldwide and head of CNN+, will leave the company.

Following Morse’s departure, Alex MacCallum, CNN Worldwide head of product and CNN+ general manager, will step in to lead CNN Digital.

Despite only launching in March, CNN+’s closure was seen as an inevitability following the merger between two companies already possessing big streamers, and the departure of CNN president Jeff Zucker, who had driven the project.

Chris Licht, chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said: “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.

“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. 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.”

“We are grateful to Andrew for his significant contributions to CNN Digital and CNN+ over the years,’’ Licht added.

“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.”