.Due to lack of interest and falling ratings at CNN itself, Discovery Communications has decided to shut the streaming service down on April 30th, 2022.
A spokesperson for the streaming service said in a statement:
“While today’s decision is incredibly difficult, it is the right one for the long-term success of CNN,” Chris Licht, the incoming president of CNN, wrote in a memo. “It allows us to refocus resources on the core products that drive our singular focus: further enhancing CNN’s journalism and its reputation as a global news leader.”
The announcement is a stunning admission to the failure of the streaming service, as CNN itself has sunk tens of millions of dollars getting the streaming service up and running, and is the first failure of the streaming wars by a major news and entertainment company. The company has planned to spend more than $1 Billion on the streaming service, plus adding an additional 500 employees, including producers, engineers and even planning to rent additional office space in Midtown Manhattan.