• by Wayne Friedman , August 24, 2023

Confirming earlier reports, Warner Bros. Discovery is starting a streaming effort called CNN Max on September 27.

CNN Max will be a testing ground on the Max premium streaming service, according to the company -- a seven-day-a-week, 24-hour service “that will enable experimentation with product features.”

The company did not provide specific details. But it did say the new programming effort will be built to cater to streaming users who are familiar with programming on the linear, live CNN network such as “Amanpour,” “Anderson Cooper 360,” “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”

Analysts say this approach is intended to avoid the exclusive agreements the CNN linear TV network has with traditional pay distributors -- cable, satellite, telco, and virtual. Many of these agreements do not allow WBD to take major programming pieces -- entire live shows, for example -- and move them to a streaming platform.

CNN Max will take the place of the branded CNN Originals area on Max.

Subscribers will have access to CNN Originals and additional news content, which features over 900 episodes of current and legacy programming.

Separately, reports say the company is intensifying efforts to find a chief executive officer to oversee CNN Worldwide. In June, Chris Licht, chairman/CEO of CNN Worldwide, departed the company after just one year on the job.