NEW YORK—After pulling the plug on CNN+ in April of 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery is trying a new approach to live streaming news by adding CNN Max, a 24/7 news streaming offering, to its Max streaming service.
CNN Max will launch in the U.S. on September 27.
The company said that the live 24/7 streaming news offering will leverage CNN’s reporting excellence, global newsgathering, and live programming from CNN US, CNN International, and feature original programming built specifically for Max.
It will be available on all of Max’s various tiers.
As part of the launch, the CNN Originals hub will be renamed CNN Max, where subscribers have expanded access to CNN Max 24/7 Live stream, CNN Originals, and additional News content.
“As we laid out at our launch only a few months ago, our vision for Max is to be The One to Watch for all members of a household,” stated JB Perrette, CEO and president, Global Streaming and Games at WBD. “We have the broadest and highest quality entertainment offering, and now will include world-leading news as a meaningful addition for all Max subscribers, at no extra charge. CNN Max is differentiated by having 24/7 news at its core from CNN, the leading global news organization, and being available on a scaled streaming service in the U.S., which has a significantly younger and additive audience compared to traditional TV. This provides even more quality choices for Max customers who will be able to easily catch up on what is happening in the world, particularly in moments of breaking news, all within one seamless experience. We’re excited to engage our Max community in this initial beta stage to help us learn and develop what appeals most to our customers in this new genre,”
The company also reported that the new seven-day-a-week/24-hour service will be part of an open beta for news that will enable experimentation with product features, content offerings and original storytelling, all with the input and feedback from the Max community.
The service will feature major worldwide CNN anchors and include new programming built specifically for the Max streaming audience like “CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta, Rahel Solomon, Amara Walker and Fredricka Whitfield,” and “CNN Newsroom with Jim Sciutto.” Jim Sciutto will also lead breaking news coverage on the platform in the afternoons.
CNN Max will additionally feature “Amanpour,” “Anderson Cooper 360,” “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer,” and other anchors, correspondents, and contributors.
“The quality, depth and reach of CNN’s global journalism is what distinguishes the company and we’re thrilled to launch CNN Max and create a 24/7 live news streaming service,” said CNN Worldwide’s leadership team, Amy Entelis, David Leavy, Virginia Moseley and Eric Sherling. “CNN Max brings the advantages CNN has in global newsgathering, breaking news coverage and top analysis to a new platform and a new audience. CNN was founded by innovating new ways to deliver the news, and through CNN Max more consumers will now be able to find, engage and learn from CNN’s reporting, giving the company multiple ways to build and grow for the future."
