CNN+ is shutting down weeks after it launched


CNN+ is officially the new Quibi — except Quibi survived much longer.
The streaming service from CNN is set to shut down only weeks after it launched, Variety and The New York Times report. According to the Times, it will officially cease operations on April 30.
It was a shockingly swift end for the new streaming platform after it launched less than a month ago. CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter at the time called it the "biggest bet any company has made in the news streaming world," and CNN hired hundreds of staffers to work on it.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But previous reports indicated the service did not have a strong launch, with CNBC reporting fewer than 10,000 people were using it daily. Earlier this week, Axios reported the service appeared "doomed," noting that CNN's chief financial officer was laid off and parent company Warner Bros. Discovery executives didn't believe the launch was successful.
CNN+ features original programming from anchors like Chris Wallace, formerly of Fox News, and Kasie Hunt, formerly of MSNBC. But in a tough review, Vulture's Josef Adalian wrote that it was "hard to figure out just what the service is supposed to be and why a large number of people will want to pay for it," noting it failed to offer on-demand access to the network's daily televised programming or a consistent live feed of breaking news. The review concluded it seemed like the "Quibi of streaming news," referring to the ill-fated streaming service of short-form content that shut down after less than a year.
CNN+ cost $5.99 per month, though it offered subscribers the chance to pay $2.99 for life if they signed up within the first few weeks.
It wasn't immediately clear what the plan for all the content on CNN+ is. But Warner Bros. Discovery also owns HBO Max, so at least some of it could end up there.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
New York court tosses Trump's $500M fraud fine
Speed Read A divided appeals court threw out a hefty penalty against President Trump for fraudulently inflating his wealth
-
Trump said to seek government stake in Intel
Speed Read The president and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan reportedly discussed the proposal at a recent meeting
-
US to take 15% cut of AI chip sales to China
Speed Read Nvidia and AMD will pay the Trump administration 15% of their revenue from selling artificial intelligence chips to China
-
NFL gets ESPN stake in deal with Disney
Speed Read The deal gives the NFL a 10% stake in Disney's ESPN sports empire and gives ESPN ownership of NFL Network
-
Samsung to make Tesla chips in $16.5B deal
Speed Read Tesla has signed a deal to get its next-generation chips from Samsung
-
FCC greenlights $8B Paramount-Skydance merger
Speed Read The Federal Communications Commission will allow Paramount to merge with the Hollywood studio Skydance
-
Tesla reports plummeting profits
Speed Read The company may soon face more problems with the expiration of federal electric vehicle tax credits
-
Dollar faces historic slump as stocks hit new high
Speed Read While stocks have recovered post-Trump tariffs, the dollar has weakened more than 10% this year