• by Wayne Friedman , June 2, 2021

WarnerMedia’s CNN is starting its own streaming service, tentatively called CNN+, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Representatives from the news cable network did not respond to inquiries by Television News Daily by press time.

This comes as AT&T recently struck a preliminary deal to spin off WarnerMedia in a $43 billion merger with Discovery Inc. The new company will be called Warner Bros. Discovery.

The CNN streaming deal would be an extension to major existing streaming efforts by the combined Warner Bros. Discovery -- discovery+ (Discovery Inc) and HBO Max (WarnerMedia)

Beyond high-profile premium entertainment streamers -- scripted and non-scripted -- a CNN streaming platform would enter a fast-moving streaming industry which is growing niche channels, news and sports streaming platforms in particular, such as Fox Nation and ESPN+.

The streaming CNN service will be wrapped around new shows from prominent CNN prime-time anchors, including Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon. The on-air hosts recently struck new deals with the cable TV network, along with other host signings.

According to the report, Jeff Zucker, chairman, WarnerMedia News and Sports, CNN Worldwide, told staffers a week ago the service would launch next year.

Yearly national TV advertising revenues (May 2020 to May 2021) for CNN totaled $630.4 million, according to iSpot.tv.

In the first three months of this year, CNN averaged 1.94 million Nielsen measured viewers in prime time, behind Fox News Channel, at 2.48 million and MSNBC at 2.24 million. In total day viewing, MSNBC came in at 1.37 million viewers, with CNN at 1.35 million and Fox News Channel at 1.32 million.