(Bloomberg) — CNN’s new streaming service, CNN+, will launch Tuesday on Amazon, Android and Apple devices, ensuring the new service has reach as it competes for today’s online viewers.
CNN’s parent, WarnerMedia, has been racing to reach deals with distributors before the launch. The company didn’t identify Roku Inc. as one of its partners. Roku is one of the largest suppliers of TV streaming devices.
CNN+, which will cost $6 a month or $60 a year, will feature shows hosted by network stars like Chris Wallace, Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper. It will have live and on-demand programs, including food and travel shows and previous CNN series like “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.” CNN reporters and experts will also answer viewer questions live.
New streaming services have often fought with Roku and Amazon.com Inc. over business terms, like how to share advertising and subscription revenue. Not being carried by all the popular streaming platforms has slowed the growth of new apps.
In May 2020, WarnerMedia, which also owns CNN, launched HBO Max despite not being unavailable to users of Roku and Amazon Fire TV, the two largest connected-TV platforms. HBO Max eventually reached a deal months later with both of them, helping the service reach a wider audience.
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