CNN puts a paywall on its website as TV revenues decline
CNN will implement a paywall on its website starting October 1, 2024, charging U.S. users $3.99 monthly or $29.99 annually, in response to declining traditional television revenues.
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CNN has announced the implementation of a paywall on its website, CNN.com, starting October 1, 2024. Users in the U.S. will be required to pay $3.99 for access or a discounted annual rate of $29.99. This decision comes as the network faces declining revenues from traditional television due to a shift towards online video consumption and ongoing cord-cutting trends. CNN's internal memo indicated that subscribers will have access to exclusive features, original documentaries, and a curated selection of journalism, along with fewer digital ads. The network's chairman, Mark Thompson, previously succeeded in transforming the New York Times into a successful digital subscription model. CNN's move to a subscription model follows a failed attempt to launch CNN+ in 2022, which was shut down shortly after its debut. The paywall strategy reflects broader challenges faced by cable networks, including competition from platforms like Fox News, which has its own subscription service. CNN aims to adapt to changing consumer habits while navigating the pressures of declining ratings and revenue.
- CNN is implementing a paywall requiring U.S. users to pay for access to its website.
- The subscription costs $3.99 monthly or $29.99 annually, offering exclusive content and fewer ads.
- The move is a response to declining revenues from traditional television and increasing online video consumption.
- CNN previously attempted a subscription model with CNN+ but shut it down shortly after launch.
- The paywall reflects broader challenges faced by cable networks amid ongoing cord-cutting trends.
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7 commentsLet them increase their revenue while decreasing their influence - good for them, good for the world.
But I would never pay for CNN. Their programs are high production quality, but the content is not high quality. It's mostly the same pool of center-left talking heads saying not very smart things about the random political happenings of the day.
If I want to know what happened in Israel today, I can just google news it, and maybe click through on BBC or AJ to read some details beyond the headline.
And if I want thoughtful long-from commentary, I will look for 30-60 minute YT podcasts with historians, retired politicians, etc. For example, recently The Rest is Politics has been great, and there are many others.
In other news, Times Radio UK (watchable on YT) has been delivering some top-tier Russo-Ukraine conflict analysis by having on legitimate experts to explain what's going on and where it's headed.
<https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40826253>
That is: what occurred to the newspaper industry since the dot-com and Global Financial Crisis recessions as advertising dried up seems to now be hitting broadcast/streaming services. As with newspapers, I suspect that this will play out over a decade or more, with outlets being snapped up by vulture capitalists stripping carrion for any remaining meat.
CNN's paywall is a sign of the times. It also suggests that other mainstream broadcast and cable news providers (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, NewsMax, Sinclair) may also be following suit. In the latter three cases, one would hope....
It'll be interesting to see both what happens to major sources of highly-biased and disinformational content (see those which have lost or settled major lawsuits in recent months) as their advertising feed-hose dries up.
Meantime, I'll be looking to see what happens to CNN's "lite" feed: <https://lite.cnn.com/>.
Update/edit: The Verge too: <https://www.status.news/p/the-verge-paywall-vox-media>.
At least browsers made it nice and easy to click a couple icons and dump all of my CNN cookies to refresh the page and bypass it anyways.
Or, y'know.
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