Nearly a month ago on March 29, WarnerMedia launched CNN’s brand new exclusive digital streaming service called CNN+. Many CNN stars gathered in Manhattan the night prior to the launch, in celebration of the new streaming platform, but little did they know this service wouldn’t become “CNN’s digital future.”
The CNN+ streaming service starred Anderson Cooper, Bianca Nobilo, Bill Weir, Chris Wallace, Don Lemon, Eva Longoria, Fareed Zakaria, Jake Tapper, Kasie Hunt, Kate Bolduan, Poppy Harlow, Sara Sidner, Scott Galloway, Wolf Blitzer and more! The app featured original weekly programming and live content, including many original documentaries and pre-existing CNN shows.
Unfortunately, after the Discovery and WarnerMedia merger deal that closed on April 8 for $43 billion, CNN+ fate quickly changed. The newly appointed Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is beginning starting to “reboot” the company in his own image, not excluding even one division! On April 21, it was announced that the newly formed CNN+ division of the company hit the chopping block and is being shut down on April 30, 2022, only a month after its launch. And CNN’s CEO Chris Licht is not happy about it since hundreds of newly hired employees will lose their jobs due to the closure.
However, this is not the first closure you can expect to see within the next few months. With new management in place, you can more likely expect to see Discovery+ and Cinemax shut down and merge into HBO Max. If you enjoyed today’s blog please follow me on Instagram @mattsworldofentertainment and Twitter @mattsworldofet to stay up-to-date with the latest entertainment news. Have a great day and I will see you all real soon!
