Three years after the swift collapse of CNN+, the news network is taking another swing at streaming with the launch of "CNN All Access," a $7/month service designed to build a direct-to-consumer business, as reported by Deadline. The offering sunsets the previous CNN Max feed and marks a high-stakes attempt to persuade news junkies to pay for content in a market saturated with free options.
What $7 gets you: The service combines live simulcasts of CNN's domestic and international programming with a deep library of on-demand content. To entice subscribers, CNN is unlocking its vault of original series and films, including exclusive, never-before-streamed episodes of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown—a detail first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Following the money: The strategy is a clear attempt to build a sustainable revenue stream beyond a declining cable business. In a major change, while existing cable subscribers can watch the video streams, they must now pay the monthly fee to read articles on CNN.com, which were previously free.
An uphill battle: CNN faces a brutal marketplace defined by widespread "subscription fatigue." The service must convince consumers to pay for news when rivals like ABC and NBC stream for free, all while parent company Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly weighing a corporate split, casting a long shadow over the ambitious reboot.
With its second attempt at a standalone streaming service, CNN is betting it can convince a cord-cutting audience that its brand of journalism is a product worth paying for, a proposition that remains one of the toughest sells in media.
The launch is a key part of CEO Mark Thompson's new vision for the company. To succeed, the service will reportedly put a bigger spotlight on reaching mobile viewers, while also leveraging its deep archive of lifestyle and travel shows to attract subscribers beyond the hard-news crowd.
