Warner Bros. Discovery is shutting down CNN+ as of April 30, according to two people familiar with the matter, marking one of the company’s first significant maneuvers since completing the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery less than two weeks ago.
The decision puts an abrupt end to an ambitious 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 decision 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.
BREAKING: Warner Bros. Discovery is shutting down CNN+ and is expected to provide details to staffers Thursday...https://t.co/VUJ2QvtB5T via @variety
— Brian Steinberg (@bristei) April 21, 2022
“This decision is in line with WBD’s broader direct-to-consumer strategy,” said Chris Licht, the incoming CEO of CNN, in a statement. “In a complex streaming market, consumers want simplicity and an all-in service, which provides a better experience and more value than stand-alone offerings.” Zaslav has been open in the recent past about his desire to combine all of the company’s streaming-video assets, which also include Discovery+ and HBO Max, under a single umbrella./
Andrew Morse, the CNN executive vice president who oversees the newly-launched streami… (Read more)