CNN+ will makes its debut this spring priced at $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year. But early birds can get a substantial discount.
The company said subscribers who sign up within the first four weeks directly will have access to the “Deal of a Lifetime,” or 50% off the monthly plan – for life – as long as they remain subscribers.
“We’re thrilled to offer CNN+’s world class journalism, premium storytelling and Interview Club platform at this attractive price,” said Andrew Morse, executive vice president and chief digital officer at CNN and head of CNN+. “Nothing like CNN+ exists. There is no news and non-fiction streaming subscription offering available today, and only CNN can create and deliver a global news product with this kind of value to consumers.”
CNN+ is planning to offer live, on-demand and interactive programming, which it said includes “a whole new way to engage” with CNN content.
“The once in a lifetime 50% off offer allows everyone interested and eager to subscribe to CNN+ to have access to it at an enticing price – for life,” said Alex MacCallum, head of product for CNN Worldwide and general manager for CNN+, in a statement. “For less than a cup of coffee, subscribers will have access to live programming from some of the greatest journalists in the world, premium on demand content and Interview Club – our interactive offering that is unlike anything else available on any streaming service today.”
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CNN will have a single CNN app that will offer access to both CNN+ and TV Everywhere experiences. In the single CNN app, CNN+ customers can explore a range of new live, on-demand and interactive content through “editorially curated and personalized” and pay TV customers can keep using largely the same TVE experience that includes access to CNN’s linear TV feeds of CNN, CNN International and HLN along with a substantial on-demand offering, which will be available exclusively to pay TV customers.
The CNN+ launch is coming as Discovery, Inc. and WarnerMedia are nearing the finish line for their merger deal that will bring together some of the most popular cable networks including TBS, TNT, Discovery and HGTV along with major streaming services Discovery+ and HBO Max.
Last year, JB Perrette, president and CEO of Discovery Streaming and International, discussed how Warner Bros Discovery will approach combining its individual streaming technology platforms. He said there may be two phases: an initial phase that allows for quick bundling of Discovery+ and HBO Max and a second phase that allows for a common service on one tech platform. It's unclear how or if CNN+ will factor into potential service bundles from the combined company, which is anticipating to close its merger in the second quarter of 2022.