CNN+ launched at the end of March and is now scheduled to shut down at the end of April, just one month later. This is arguably one of the quickest examples of a streaming service releasing and coming to an end. However, the decision is not totally surprising, considering it was always somewhat unclear who exactly the service was aimed at.
Over the past few years, and as streaming has become more common, a significant number of streaming services have arrived on the scene. In fact, there are so many now that it can be difficult for consumers to decide which ones to prioritize over others. For a select few of those services, the experience has ben short-lived, with Quibi a prime example. Quibi launched in early 2020, when streaming was at an all-time high due to the various lockdowns, but came to an end roughly six months later.
It now appears as though CNN+ has beaten that record. The service only launched on March 29, 2022 and is now reportedly set to close down on April 30, according to CNN Business. The report suggests that the decision was made following the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, with the new management wanting to take the various products and services in a different, more simplified, direction. According to the information, some of the CNN+ programming is likely to live on through other subscription services.
For background, CNN+ was designed to be a complimentary service to CNN and not an actual replacement. While consumers typically need a live TV plan to watch CNN, CNN+ could be subscribed to directly. The cost of the standard subscription was $5.99 per month although consumers could save a little by opting for an annual plan, priced at $59.99 per year. As part of the launch period, CNN+ was actually offering a lifetime discount on the monthly subscription, bringing the cost down to $2.99 per month.
It is likely that the lack of subscriptions was part of the reason, if not entirely the reason. At $5.99 per month, it remains unclear how many people would want to pay for a service that’s complementary to the main channel. For example, if the cost was actually for CNN, it may have seen greater adoption as that might have appealed to those who are only paying for a live TV service to access the main news channel.
Regardless, for those that have already signed up to the service, they should expect to receive an email confirming the shutting down of CNN+ later this month, if they haven’t already.
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