CNN is planning to roll out a subscription streaming service this fall, its latest attempt to gain a foothold in the market. A CNN spokesperson confirmed plans for the service, which would be a mix of live programming and on-demand content.The details of the new service will be unveiled on Wednesday as Warner Bros. Discovery makes its upfront presentation to advertisers.The network launched a much-heralded service, CNN+, in 2022, in which the network hired top name talent to create alternate programming, while offering subscribers an array of documentaries and original series from its library. But the network was a bust and was folded after just a month.CNN Worldwide CEO Mark Thompson announced plans for the streaming service in January. He wrote to employees that they “plan to develop a new way for digital subscribers at home and abroad to stream news programming from us on any device they choose. It’s early days but we’ve already established that there’s immense demand for it not just in America but across much of the world.”CNN already has a streaming presence on Max, launched after the failure of CNN+, that mirrors a significant share of linear content. But in his memo in January, Thompson wrote that they will “continue to have a strong presence on Max, but we also believe it is not a complete answer to the future of the great linear CNN experience.”CNN also has started a paywall for CNN.com following an upgrade. According to The New York Times, which first reported on the launch plans, the streaming service would be tied to the subscription product. Existing linear cable subscribers also will have access. One of the difficulties for news networks in offering streaming options are agreements with traditional TV distributors, even as cable and satellite subscriptions are on the decline.Fox News launched a subscription offering, Fox Nation, in 2018, and it offers a mix of original content, including entertainment programming, along with on-demand streams of some of its linear programming. MSNBC has a streaming presence on Peacock, the NBCU subscription service, and it is unclear what kind of offering it will have following its separation from parent Comcast later this year.
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