CNN Is Not For Sale, But Barry Diller Keeps Calling

Warner Bros. Discovery has firmly stated that CNN is not for sale and has no plans to divest the network, despite persistent interest from billionaire media mogul Barry Diller.

A Warner Bros. Discovery spokesperson reiterated the position last week: “CNN was not and is not for sale,” describing the network as “an incredibly important part” of the upcoming Discovery Global spinoff entity. This came in direct response to a Wall Street Journal report revealing that Diller had made repeated approaches to the company last year expressing interest in acquiring CNN, with sources confirming he remains interested.

No formal offer was ever presented to Warner's board, and the inquiries never advanced beyond preliminary outreach. Diller's efforts were personal, separate from his role leading IAC (which owns assets like People and The Daily Beast).

The overtures highlight ongoing external curiosity about CNN's value amid broader media industry shifts, including cord-cutting pressures and Warner Bros. Discovery's corporate restructuring. The company is moving forward with a split that separates high-growth studio and streaming assets from its cable networks, with CNN positioned firmly inside the cable-focused Discovery Global unit alongside other channels that benefit from lucrative carriage agreements with pay-TV providers.

CNN itself continues to project strength: recent filings estimate $1.8 billion in revenue and $600 million in profit for 2026, and the network reported exceeding its 2025 subscription goals while starting 2026 strongly.

While Diller's persistence adds a layer of intrigue to one of the media sector's most watched sagas, Warner Bros. Discovery has shown no willingness to entertain separation of the iconic news brand from its broader cable portfolio. Interest from other potential suitors has surfaced periodically, but the company maintains that such calls have not changed its strategic direction.