CNN+ Will Shut Down, New Streaming Strategy is Next

Warner Bros. Discovery is shutting down CNN+ on April 30, just four weeks after the streaming service launched.

The decision was announced by new management after CNN’s former parent company, WarnerMedia, merged with Discovery to form Warner Bros. Discovery earlier this month.

“Our customers and CNN will be best served with a simpler streaming choice,” Chris Licht, chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said in a statement. “This is not a decision about quality; we appreciate all of the work, ambition and creativity that went into building CNN.”

According to media reports Licht and other executives at Warner Bros. Discovery have been working CNN+ in a new streaming strategy for CNN.

Some of the programming produced by CNN+ will move to HBO Max, CNN.com and the free CNN app. Also, some new talent may assume roles on CNN’s linear station.

After hundreds of millions of dollars invested, WarnerMedia launched the stand-alone news service that add fewer than 10,000 daily active viewers in two weeks. The company said customers will receive prorated refunds on subscription fees.

CNN+ head Andrew Morse is leaving Warner Bros. Discovery after a transition period. Alex MacCallum, currently CNN+’s general manager and head of product, will lead CNN Digital.