• by Wayne Friedman , July 19, 2021

WarnerMedia will start up its CNN+ -- a digital, live streaming news platform -- next year in Q1.

CNN+ says it will have original, live, on-demand and interactive programming as a “stand-alone” direct-to-consumer service, separate from CNN branded linear TV channels.

CNN+ will also include new original series and films developed for CNN+.

Andrew Morse, chief digital officer for CNN Worldwide, will be the executive in charge of CNN+.

In June, Jeff Zucker, chairman, WarnerMedia News and Sports, CNN Worldwide, told staffers the service would launch next year, according to news reports.

MSNBC recently announced it is expanding its digital live-streaming programming on NBCUniversal’s Peacock platform, under the brand name “The Choice by MSNBC.” In 2018, Fox launched its Fox Nation news streaming service.

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.

Yearly national TV advertising revenues (July 2020 to July 2021) for CNN totaled $599.2 million, according to estimates from 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.