Warner Bros. Discovery is SHUTTING DOWN the brand-new streaming CNN+ a mere three weeks after it’s big splashy braggy pompous launch.
Since it debuted it has been plagued by low subscriber numbers, financial woes, leadership changes, strife, battles between its “stars” and a thousand editorials across American asking why the HECK it existed in the first place.
And now it is GONE.
From Variety:
The decision puts an end to a venture that people familiar with the matter say rankled David Zaslav, the new CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, from the start. Zaslav was annoyed by the decison of Jason Kilar, the former CEO of WarnerMedia when it was owned by AT&T, to launch CNN+ just weeks before Discovery was set to take over operations.
Chris Licht, the incoming CEO of CNN, sent a memo to staffers Thursday morning about “an important meeting” to be held at noon, and is at that time expected to inform employees about the decision, these people said. Licht has already told Andrew Morse, the CNN executive vice president who oversees the newly-launched streaming-video outlet, of the decision, these people said. Morse could not be reached for immediate comment.
The decision would appear to put an end to an ambitious effort by CNN to join the TV-news streaming wars, which are already being fought by NBCUniversal, CBS News, Fox News and ABC News.
There’s really only one thing to say.
Treat this as an OPEN THREAD my friends.