CNN is betting big on digital subscriptions to reverse its fortunes, with CEO Mark Thompson announcing plans to launch a series of streaming products, starting with one this year and another in 2026, to offset steep declines in cable viewership. Speaking to The Financial Times on Tuesday, Thompson, who joined CNN 18 months ago, remained light on specifics but set an ambitious goal of generating over $1 billion in annual digital revenue by 2030. As cord-cutting surges the network aims to pivot from its cable roots to a streaming future, navigating a media landscape Thompson calls a “revolution” of disruption.
CNN’s cable audience shrank 8% in Q1 2025, averaging 600,000 primetime viewers, per Nielsen, compared to Fox News’ 48% leap to 2.1 million and MSNBC’s 27% drop to 800,000. Facing these headwinds, Thompson, backed by $70 million from parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, is steering CNN toward a digital overhaul. The first product, debuting in 2025, will be a “non-news” offering heavy on information, featuring lifestyle and entertainment content akin to The New York Times’ cooking and games subscriptions, which Thompson championed as its CEO. A second service is slated for 2026, with global rollout planned after U.S. launches. Early paywall tests for CNN’s core news remain in nascent stages, he admitted.
“I don’t think this stuff is easy,” Thompson told the FT, acknowledging the industry’s upheaval. CNN’s 2024 operating revenue hit $1.7 billion, per S&P Global, but cable’s decline—down 12% industry-wide since 2020—pand CNN already experiences staffing cuts. The irony stings for staff who saw Warner Bros. Discovery ax CNN+ in 2022, post-merger, only to see Thompson revive a similar strategy. Insiders speculate he’ll emulate NYT’s model, bundling news with lifestyle perks to lure subscribers and hide some of CNN’s content on its website behind a paid subscription.
Thompson recently urged staff to cover Trump’s second term objectively, a stance he reiterated: “Our job is to report accurately, fairly, without prejudice, holding power to account.”
With stars like Anderson Cooper and Jake Tapper, CNN’s digital pivot could leverage its brand, but vagueness breeds caution. As viewers stream their news on places like YouTube, CNN’s billion-dollar dream hinges on delivering value beyond cable’s shadow, starting with a lifestyle hook to win back a fragmented audience.
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