CNN’s big bet on streaming, All Access, is here. Why it’s a big deal.
CNN is taking its second swing at a major independent streaming service, a bet that a direct-to-subscribers product can rejuvenate the cable news pioneer.
Tuesday, CNN launched the new subscription video service dubbed CNN All Access, a way to provide those without a cable subscription access to its main channel feed as well as a host of other CNN-related video products.
Users will also receive on-demand access to CNN original series like “Have I Got News For You” and “Tony Shalhoub Breaking Bread,” a live channel similar to the old CNN Headline News and full access to cnn.com and CNN International.
CNN All Access will also feature curated clips, daily catch-up shows and full episodes of CNN’s prime-time shows on demand.
Initial cost: $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year with a special $41.99 annual deal for early adapters.
Atlanta is the founding city of CNN and remains a critical hub for the network’s digital and programming operations.
The All Access product is a reboot of sorts of CNN+, the company’s original streaming and direct-to-consumer service that was killed shortly after its launch, a casualty of the megamerger that formed CNN’s current parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.
Anyone who already subscribes to existing cable or comparable services like YouTube TV and Sling will receive CNN All Access at no extra cost. The target paying audience includes people who have cut the cord but still want to watch CNN’s traditional feed as well as consumers who absorb news primarily on their phones.
CNN Chairman and CEO Mark Thompson, who joined the company two years ago, preached patience in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“These things don’t build overnight,” Thompson said. “The main thing the first year or two is to learn from the audience and optimize the product. We have to understand what works in the coming months. I’m very pleased with the work so far and am excited by the potential.”
Thompson ran The New York Times 2012-2020 and developed its ultimately successful digital build out. He noted that it took the Times more than four years to reach 1 million subscribers but then quickly grew to 7 million by the time he left. As of August, the Times reported has nearly 12 million subscribers.
CNN launched a basic subscription tier a year ago at $3.99 a month that provides unlimited access to articles on CNN.com and the CNN app. It didn’t provide subscription numbers for that service, which will remain.
All Access specific employees are scattered across worldwide bureaus, including some in Atlanta, where 1,100 of CNN’s 4,000 employees now reside.
This isn’t the first time CNN has been down this road.
When AT&T owned CNN, it invested $300 million to launch CNN+, a subscription service that featured several new shows, including an array of expensive features-oriented programming. It did not include the CNN cable feed because of objections at the time from carriers like Charter and Comcast.
But when Discovery merged with Warner Bros to create Warner Bros. Discovery in 2022, management pulled the plug on CNN+ after just three weeks.
Thompson joined CNN in 2023 to steady the ship after a disastrous 18-month run by Chris Licht, which included declining ratings, a messy town hall with Donald Trump, an ill-conceived morning show and strife with staff.
Unlike CNN+, All Access is starting with only a handful of new shows, such as “The Enten Scale,” where CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten digs deeper into the numbers behind the stories, and “Devoted,” where CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan joins people on their spiritual journeys.
All Access largely consolidates everything CNN already offers supplemented by live feeds of breaking news events and quick videos of trending searches of the day.
Thompson didn’t provide a specific target subscription goal within a certain time frame, but said he hopes CNN All Access will eventually garner millions of subscribers.
“Every new product is an experiment,” he said. “It’s based on hypotheticals. But I’m feeling confident about the work being done and the quality of the product. Our task now is to put it out there and build an audience.”
But he may not have time to be patient. Cable subscriptions, which provide a heavy portion of CNN’s profits, are shrinking rapidly. CNN needs revenue from All Access to compensate for declining cable subscriber income.
To make matters worse for Thompson, CNN may soon have a new owner yet again.
Warner Bros. Discovery announced earlier this year it was planning to split into two publicly traded companies next year. Then David Ellison, owner of Paramount Skydance, recently offered to purchase WBD in cash, which the board rejected. But Thompson’s boss, David Zaslov, said last week that WBD was open to all bidders.
Thompson said CNN remains fully committed to Atlanta as a hub of operations. CNN has added 75 control room jobs in the city this year, moving jobs from New York, he said.
“Atlanta is both our literal and spiritual home,” he said, noting that Ted Turner launched the cable operation 45 years ago on the Midtown campus where CNN returned last year after 37 years at CNN Center in downtown Atlanta.
He visits Atlanta every five weeks or so.
“In some ways,” he said, “I still argue Atlanta continues to be the most important single hub for us when it comes to key work and how many services come out of there, including CNN International.”
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
