CNN is projected to generate $1.8 billion in revenue in 2026, according to newly disclosed figures from its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).
This comes amid a major corporate restructuring where WBD is splitting into two entities: one involving high-growth assets like studios, HBO, and the HBO Max streaming service (being sold to Netflix), and the other spinning off most cable networks, including CNN, into a new public company.
Profitability, measured as adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), is forecasted at about $600 million for 2026. This represents a significant decline from CNN's peak profitability a decade ago, when it approached $1 billion in gross profit during high-viewership periods like the 2016 election cycle.
Revenue is expected to grow steadily in subsequent years, driven by shifts to streaming and subscriptions (such as CNN's All Access service launched last fall at $6.99/month), which are anticipated to offset declines in traditional cable and advertising income.
WBD's filing indicates core linear TV revenue for CNN will drop at a compound annual rate of about -4% through 2030, but "new platform revenue" from digital and streaming is projected to reach around $600 million by 2030.
The detailed year-by-year forecasts from the SEC proxy filing are:
- 2026: $1.8 billion in revenue, ~$600 million EBITDA
- 2027: $1.9 billion in revenue, $500 million EBITDA
- 2028: $2 billion in revenue, $600 million EBITDA
- 2029: $2.1 billion in revenue, $600 million EBITDA (stagnant thereafter)
- 2030: $2.2 billion in revenue, $600 million EBITDA
This upward revenue trajectory contrasts sharply with other traditional cable networks under WBD (excluding CNN), where U.S. networks are projected to see revenue fall from $9.9 billion in 2026 to $7.7 billion by 2030, with EBITDA dropping from $3.8 billion to $1.9 billion over the same period.
These projections highlight CNN's pivot toward digital transformation as a key differentiator in an era of declining linear TV audiences and cord-cutting, even as overall profitability remains below historical highs and faces pressure from shrinking traditional streams. The disclosures, made public for the first time in years as part of the restructuring proxy, aim to provide transparency to investors evaluating the upcoming split.