One month after launch, CNN shuts down streaming service

The brand new CNN streaming service closes just a month after its launch. The new president of CNN, Chris Licht, said that the service will stop operating at end of april.

CNN+ it debuted when its parent company was still part of AT&T. Earlier this month it teamed up with Discovery to form a new company, Warner Bros. Discovery, led by Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who had his own plans for CNN and his brothers at Warner.

In his memo, Licht said consumers wanted “simplicity and inclusive service” rather than “individual offerings.” Discovery had previously suggested it wanted to merge the new company’s streaming services, which include Discovery+ and HBOMax, in a single application.

Licht said some of CNN+’s content will go to other company networks, and employees of the streaming service will have the opportunity to apply for jobs at other Warner Bros. Discovery companies. CNN+ head Andrew Morse is leaving the company.

“While today’s decision is incredibly difficult, it is the right one for CNN’s long-term success. It allows us to channel resources into the core products that drive our singular focus: further enhancing CNN’s journalism and its reputation as a global news leader,” Licht wrote.

AT&T had allocated $100 million to costs and some 500 employees to CNN+ development.