CNN Sent Branded 'Welcome' Gifts To Former CNN+ Staffers

NY Post graphic 5/14/22

A week after the CNN+ streaming service collapsed in April, laid-off employees received a welcome package from the network filled with branded gifts and notes from the failed platform.

Hundreds of CNN+ employees were laid off when the streaming service shut down less than five weeks after launching in March 2022. Days after the mass layoff, a number of former staffers received welcome gift packages from the network, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The Daily Caller reports the packages contained gear branded with the CNN+ logo, including pens, headphones, food containers, and even popcorn makers, the WSJ reported. Some of the packages also came with welcome notes, one of which read, “this is an incredible time to be part of CNN,” the outlet continued. “Build relationships and take time to connect with colleagues and learn so that you make the most of your time here.”

CNN has since said that the gifts were sent mistakenly. More than 400 employees were employed by the streaming platform, which only brought in 150,000 subscribers with a $5.99-a-month subscription fee, the WSJ reported.

Only 5,000 to 10,000 people watched CNN+ at any given time, people familiar with the situation told the WSJ.