Copyright Mechanicsburg Patriot News
There are some changes happening over at CNN as it aims to place more emphasis on news. The news channel’s family of websites and apps now features All Access, which is a new way to subscribe and stream CNN, outfitted with new kinds of news content for those subscribers. The new service is designed to be mobile-first and the main goal of the big move is to bring viewers into the CNN fold who are interested in the latest news on trending topics, and not necessarily traditional cable programming complete with time slots or the talent that comes with it. “All Access” offers collections of recent video that could help subscribers get caught up on the recent trending news topics. Anything from the recent sports-betting scandal that involved an NBA player and coach, or the government shutdown. It’s geared towards giving viewers special live streams dedicated to featuring an immediate look at events unfolding in the moment. Subscribers will also be able to watch CNN’s library of films and documentary programming. Traditional pay-TV subscribers will be able to use the product as well, which caters to the needs for CNN and parent company Warner Bros. Discovery to maintain relationships with cable and satellite providers even as more consumers migrate to streaming video. The significant move is a huge pivot for CNN in an era of direct-to-consumer relationships and mobile-first news reports. “We’re delivering all of CNN’s industry-leading journalism in one place, accessible on any device,” Alex MacCallum, CNN’s executive vice president of digital products and services, told Variety. “Whether you are a fan of the live and premium video storytelling on which CNN built its name, or prefer snackable content that catches you up on the day’s essential news and lifestyle stories, audiences can now engage with and consume the full breadth of world-class storytelling CNN and its trusted journalists are known for, however works best for them.” Subscribers will pay $6.99 per month or $69.99 a year, for the new content tier. The news outlet is also enticing users to pay annually by offering an intro price of $41.99 for the first year. This is CNN’s second swing at a subscription-based streaming outlet. The news outlet’s previous effort, CNN+, launched and ended up on the chopping block over a few weeks in 2022. Unlike that failed effort, the difference here is the new “All Access” relies more heavily on the video and reporting CNN churns out every day, rather than introducing a litany of new programs led by anchors and a slew of contributors. “All Access” plans to not focus totally on just the politics-and-breaking-news angle of the linear network. It’ll rely largely on video already in production to generate additional revenue.
