Copyright newsbusters
CNN finally launched on Monday its long-hyped streaming platform CNN All Access, hoping it lives beyond the 32 days its first iteration — CNN+ — lasted and that it won’t lose $300 million like they did on said comical product. At a cost of $6.99 a month or $69.99 for an annual subscription (or $41.99 for the first year until January 5), CNN said in a press release their “new All Access subscription tier” will include “access to stream a selection of live channels, a library of award-winning CNN Original Series and CNN Films, day-of catch-up content, video-on-demand programming that showcases CNN’s reporting muscle in the field as well as all text, audio and video content available on CNN.com and the CNN app.” Unlike CNN+, the All Access package does not include a distinct, separate set of shows from CNN, CNN International, or HLN. Rather, CNN All Access’s live feed will be simulcasting a combination of CNN and International shows for 22 hours a day. For the other two hours, CNN All Access will simulcast CNN Headlines, which is apparently a thing almost no one has ever heard of. Apparently, CNN Headlines is the network’s free, ad-supported TV station (FAST). In other words, think ABC News Live, CBS News 24/7, or NBC News NOW. It’s one thing for Disney to offer ESPN and their other sports channels as a bundle to cord-cutters, but it’s another thing to hope there’s a ripe audience for cord-cutters to flock toward CNN. CNN may act like the Fox News Channel (FNC) is the evil empire, but they copy and pasted what Fox has achieved with its streaming channel Fox Nation in that CNN All Access will include exclusive reports, CNN’s library of documentaries, and “special features” by CNN anchors, such as a show from data guru Harry Enten or 5 Things with Kate Bolduan. It will also include access to all paywalled CNN.com articles, which CNN created in October 2024. Variety’s Brian Steinberg framed the move as CNN “aim[ing] to put more emphasis on news and less on cable as it launches a new subscription streaming tier that will have more features for an audience that wants news first and a connection to traditional TV a distant second.” “CNN needs to court viewers who no longer view cable as an integral part of delivering their media diet. CNN is projected to shed 7.6% of its pay-TV subscriber base by the end of 2026,” he added. He further explained CNN believes there’s an audience for those who want to see more from “CNN reporters, producers and correspondents” who “are at work around the world, but may not be able to get more than a few minutes of time for their labors on traditional TV.” Time will tell on that front. CNN better hope CNN All Access succeeds or we’ll be back to mocking them like we did after CNN+ died, which came and went in fewer time than New Coke and cost as much as 240 million pizzas and 25 Obama mansions.
