BREAKING: Warner Bros. Discovery shuttering CNN+ amid reports of dismal subscriber numbers



Warner Bros. Discovery is shutting down the newly launched CNN+ and is expected to address the closure with staffers on Thursday, Variety reported Thursday morning.

What are the details?

Variety first reported that incoming CNN CEO Chris Licht told staffers on Thursday morning that an "important meeting" was scheduled for noon.

The meeting, according to the report, is "expected to inform employees about the decision." Licht is said to have already notified CNN executive vice president Andrew Morse, who oversees all programming of the newly launched outlet.

Of the news, CNN's Brian Stelter tweeted, "Breaking: CNN+, the streaming service that was hyped as one of the most signifiant [sic] developments in the history of CNN, will shut down on April 30, just one month after it launched."

Breaking: CNN+, the streaming service that was hyped as one of the most signifiant developments in the history of CNN, will shut down on April 30, just one month after it launched. Here's our initial story \u2013 more to comehttps://www.cnn.com/2022/04/21/media/cnn-shutting-down/index.html\u00a0\u2026
— Brian Stelter (@Brian Stelter) 1650556558

Stelter's tweet cited a CNN report that confirmed the news.

"CNN+, the streaming service that was hyped as one of the most significant developments in the history of CNN, will shut down on April 30, just one month after it launched," the outlet reported. "The decision was made by new management after CNN's former parent company, WarnerMedia, merged with Discovery to form Warner Bros. Discovery. David Zaslav, the chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, has said that he wants to house all of the company's brands under one streaming service. Some CNN+ programming may eventually live on through that service."

What else?

CNN+, the premium news subscription service headlined by former longtime Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, garnered only about 150,000 subscribers, according to a Tuesday report. A previous report claimed the streaming service saw a mere 10,000 viewers on a daily basis.

The service launched on March 29 and charged subscribers $5.99 per month, or $59.99 annually, for its content.

Just days after the launch, Fox Business senior correspondent Charles Gasparino reported that CNN+ employees could soon see mass layoffs.

Gasparino at the time said that the company failed to drive subscriptions and may be hemorrhaging cash.

"@CNNplus employees bracing for layoffs possibly as soon as May amid projections of lackluster sales of new streaming channel," Gasparino reported on Twitter. "CNN employees say new streaming channel could be merged into larger @discoveryplus as early as May unless subscriptions pick up."

This is a breaking story and will be updated as events warrant.

CNN+, the just-launched subscription network, could already be headed for disaster: Report



CNN's new subscription platform, CNN+, could already be headed for disaster.

The video streaming platform, which officially launched on Tuesday, snagged high-level talent from rival networks, most notably Chris Wallace from Fox News and Kasie Hunt from MSNBC. Actress Eva Longoria also joined the platform and will host a travel show focusing on Mexican cuisine. Many of CNN's existing talent will also host shows on CNN+.

But what is happening now?

Fox Business senior correspondent Charles Gasparino reported Wednesday that CNN+ employees could already be headed for the chopping block.

According to Gasparino, hype surrounding CNN+ failed to drive subscriptions, which suggests the expensive new start-up is already bleeding cash.

"@CNNplus employees bracing for layoffs possibly as soon as May amid projections of lackluster sales of new streaming channel," Gasparino reported. "CNN employees say new streaming channel could be merged into larger @discoveryplus as early as May unless subscriptions pick up."

Breaking: @CNNplus employees bracing for layoffs possibly as soon as May amid projections of lackluster sales of new streaming channel; CNN employees say new streaming channel could be merged into larger @discoveryplus as early as May unless subscriptions pick up 130 @FoxBusiness
— Charles Gasparino (@Charles Gasparino) 1648660513

Lackluster subscriptions would, in fact, prove immediately dangerous for CNN because of the massive investment in the new platform.

According to the Washington Post, CNN invested nearly $100 million into CNN+, which included hiring "several hundred employees to build and launch the streaming service."

Not only would poor subscription figures suggest CNN+ is already in catastrophic territory if the report is true, but the second part of Gasparino's report — that CNN+ could be folded into Discovery+ — also has legs.

Earlier this month, Discovery Inc. shareholders agreed to merge with WarnerMedia, the current parent company of CNN, in a $43 billion deal, Reuters reported. As part of the consolidation, HBO Max, a video streaming service under WarnerMedia's umbrella, will be merged with Discovery+.

Thus, if CNN+ does not have enough support to sustain its own platform, it may also find itself under Discovery's flagship streaming platform.

How did CNN respond?

A spokesperson for the network did not directly refute Gasparino's report.

"For the record, we are VERY happy with the launch of CNN+ and are only bracing for a long run of success," said Matt Dornic, CNN's head of strategic communications.