CNN+ Streaming to Launch In March

CNN plans to pull its original series off HBO Max and put the programming on its own streaming service as the cable news channel prepares to launch CNN+ next year, reports Bloomberg.

The programs that will likely move include popular food shows starring Anthony Bourdain and Stanley Tucci and other CNN original series and documentaries, according to a person familiar with the matter. CNN no longer plans to produce shows for HBO Max, which is owned by the same parent company, AT&T Inc.’s WarnerMedia.

CNN’s strategy began to take shape this week when it announced that two high-profile stars from news and entertainment, Chris Wallace and Eva Longoria, will make shows for CNN+.

Wallace, a veteran journalist who spent 18 years at Fox News, will have a weekday show on CNN+ in which he will interview figures across politics, business, sports and culture. Reports of his hiring likely put CNN+ on many people’s radar for the first time, said Jon Klein, a former president of CNN’s U.S. network.

“It’s a great way to let a new audience know that CNN+ exists and they’re serious about putting out a quality product,” Klein said.

CNN+ is considering charging $5.99 a month and is aiming to launch in March, according to a person familiar with the matter. That would be the same price as Fox Nation, the streaming service from Fox News.

The service would debut just a few months before CNN’s parent is expected to combine with Discovery Inc. How the deal might impact the future of CNN+ remains murky. Among other assets, Discovery owns the Food Network, which could conflict with the culinary-based programming slated for CNN+.

Crowded Market

CNN+ will arrive in a market already crowded with free streaming news services, including ones from broadcasters like CBS.

“I have my doubts about audiences paying for streaming news,” Tom Jones, a senior media writer for Poynter, wrote about CNN+ this week.

WarnerMedia executives have been weighing whether to sell CNN+ and HBO Max combined at a discounted price, the person said. Walt Disney Co. has found success with a similar strategy, bundling subscriptions to Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+.

Meanwhile, CNN+ has been hiring prominent TV journalists, such as Wallace and former NBC News correspondent Kasie Hunt. Several CNN stars, including Anderson Cooper, Van Jones and Don Lemon, will likely have shows on CNN+, according to people familiar with the matter.

CNN+ is also developing panel shows similar in format to Fox News’s “The Five,” people familiar said. It will have 8 to 12 hours of live programming each day.

As CNN prepares to launch its new streaming service, its cable channel remains in third place in the cable news ratings battle, showing steeper declines this year than Fox News and MSNBC.

The network’s streaming service will focus on live programming and original series. It will also feature an interactive component that could involve hosts responding to questions from viewers through the app.