Warner Bros. Discovery is giving CNN another shot at the streaming space, setting a fall 2025 launch window for a new subscription-based platform aimed at news consumers looking for live coverage, original reporting, and on-demand access without a cable login.
The yet-to-be-named service will anchor CNN’s “All Access” subscription tier, expanding on the digital-only offering that rolled out in late 2024 and currently provides paid access to CNN.com articles. This new product will bring in live channels, catch-up viewing, and VOD features through the CNN app and CNN.com, effectively bridging the gap between linear and digital.
In a key move to preserve CNN’s pay-TV footprint, the company will fold the new streaming product into existing cable subscriptions at no extra charge. Pricing for direct-to-consumer subscribers—those without a cable bundle—hasn’t been announced.
The play positions CNN to compete head-to-head with Fox, which is prepping its own standalone news streaming platform for launch around the same time.
While CNN will continue to maintain a curated presence on Max, this new platform marks a clear pivot toward owned-and-operated digital distribution. It also signals a strategic reset after the short-lived CNN+ was pulled just weeks into its run following the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger in 2022.
The service is expected to feature a mix of live news programming, feature content, and franchise extensions built around CNN’s anchors and correspondents, though exact programming details are still under wraps.
CNN’s linear channel will remain available via traditional cable and satellite providers.
