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What happens to CNN Plus subscribers now that the streaming service is shutting down?

The quick demise of CNN Plus drew immediate comparisons to Quibi, the ill-fated streaming service founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg.

[Source photo: CNN]

CNN Plus, the newly launched paid streaming service, is already shutting down.

News of its troubles emerged earlier this week whenĀ AxiosĀ reported that CNNā€™s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, hadĀ suspended marketingĀ for the much-hyped service, sparking widespread speculation that the product would not survive much longer. It will officially shut down on April 30.

Current subscribers of CNN Plus will receive ā€œprorated refunds of subscription fees,ā€ according to CNN and WBD.

Chris Licht, the new head of CNN Worldwide, hinted that some version of CNN Plus could be folded into a larger streaming service at the company. ā€œAs we become Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN will be strongest as part of WBDā€™s streaming strategy which envisions news as an important part of a compelling broader offering along with sports, entertainment, and nonfiction content,ā€ Licht said in a statement.

On social media Thursday, the quick demise of CNN Plus drew immediate comparisons to Quibi, theĀ ill-fated streaming serviceĀ founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg, which folded after six months. However, CNN Plus appears to be, at least in part, a victim of interoffice politics, as the bosses at WBDā€”which was created from a recently completed merger between AT&Tā€™s WarnerMedia assets and Discovery Inc.ā€”were apparently not fans of the concept, asĀ VarietyĀ reports.

CNN Plus did not offer a live feed from its eponymous cable network, but ratherĀ companion contentĀ featuring additional programing and CNN personalitiesā€”a source of confusion for some customers who had expected it to function as an extension of CNN proper. The service cost $6 a month or $60 a year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christopher Zara is a senior news editor for Fast Company and obsessed with media, technology, business, culture, and theater. Before coming to FastCo News, he was a deputy editor at International Business Times, a theater critic for Newsweek, and managing editor of Show Business magazine. More

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