It was no surprise when Warner Bros. Discovery announced it was shutting down CNN’s subscription-based streaming service, CNN+, a mere three weeks after its launch, for its dismal failure to attract viewers.
Rest assured, Brian Stelter still thinks CNN+ may have been a success.
It’s always good to have a positive attitude.
It seems, however, that despite the intention for the streaming service to cease operations on April 30, Warner Bros. Discovery has decided to pull the plug on CNN+ a couple of days early.
“After April 28, 2022, the CNN+ daily and weekly shows, Interview Club, and the on-demand library of CNN Original Series and Films will no longer be available,” read an email sent to its small numbers of subscribers, which was obtained by Digital Trends.
“CNN+ streaming will come to an end on April 28, 2022. If you purchased your subscription directly from us, we will be providing a full refund for your subscription fee back to your original CNN+ payment method by May 28, 2022,” the email said. “If you purchased your subscription via a third party, such as Apple, Google, Roku, or Amazon, that third party will process a full refund of your subscription fee in accordance with their respective refund policies and timelines. You can confirm the details of those refunds directly with the applicable third-party app store provider.”
The network had hoped CNN+ would net two million U.S.-based subscribers in its first year, but the service acquired a mere 150,000 subscribers and reportedly fewer than 10,000 daily viewers. This despite over $300 million being invested into its development.
Cheers to CNN+. Your time on this earth was short, but we’ll always remember the laughter.
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