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CNN's new streaming service is reportedly off to a rough start, with less than 10,000 daily users

Ben Gilbert   

CNN's new streaming service is reportedly off to a rough start, with less than 10,000 daily users
  • At the end of March, CNN launched a paid streaming service: CNN+.
  • Two weeks later, the service is struggling to attract viewers.

On March 29, yet another new paid video streaming service became available: For $5.99 each month, CNN+ offers access to a library of new and old shows starring well-known faces from the cable news channel.

That includes every season of Anthony Bourdain's "Parts Unknown," which concluded with Bourdain's passing in 2018, as well as new shows made specifically for the new service, like "Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?" The library is a mix of news shows hosted by CNN personalities like Anderson Cooper and Christiane Amanpour, and culture shows hosted by celebrities like W. Kamau Bell and Anthony Tucci.

But just over two weeks after launch, the service is already struggling to attract viewers: Less than 10,000 people are using CNN+ at any given time, $4 citing unnamed sources.

That's an especially weak launch in the context of its competition: Disney Plus boasted $4 on its first day, and NBC's Peacock reported $4 in its first quarter.

Worse, it's nowhere near the number of users CNN was hoping for — upwards of 2 million subscribers were projected for the first year of CNN Plus, $4.

CNN+ is one of several streaming services from CNN parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, including HBO Max and Discovery Plus. Its launch is complicated by the $4, and the shakeup in leadership at CNN following $4.

"We continue to be happy with the launch and its progress after only two weeks," a CNN spokesperson told Insider.

Got a tip? Contact Insider senior correspondent Ben Gilbert via email (bgilbert@insider.com), or Twitter DM ($4). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by email only, please.

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