CNN's owner has already decided to add live news to the
service outside the US, said the people, who asked not to be identified
discussing nonpublic information.
Putting news on Max in the US could be complicated. Pay-TV
providers like Comcast and DirecTV typically pay for the right to offer cable
channels to their subscribers and are sensitive about efforts by media companies
to offer the same programming online.
Warner Bros. Discovery executives are weighing different
approaches to offering live CNN programming on Max in the US, including some
that don't require renegotiating deals with TV providers, one person said.
In recent weeks, the team at Warner Bros. Discovery's
streaming operation has started work on technical issues related to airing live
news on Max, the people said.
Warner Bros. Discovery introduced Max last month and has
pitched the service to consumers as a combination of reality programming from
Discovery and scripted shows and blockbuster movies from HBO Max. Chief
Executive Officer David Zaslav has said he'll have more to say about news and
sports in the fall.
News and sports don't currently play a big role on Max, nor
did they feature prominently on HBO Max, the prior version of the service. CNN
has a few programs on Max, including shows hosted by Chris Wallace and Anderson
Cooper. But those aren't live.
While sports have been a major part of the programming
lineup at Paramount+ and Peacock, two rival streaming services, it's less clear
what role news will play in the competition. Netflix funds hundreds of
documentaries, but has said it isn't in the news business. Amazon.com and Apple
don't operate large video news services, while Paramount Global, Comcast and
Walt Disney Co. have largely kept their news programming separate from their
entertainment streaming services.
CNN, one of the largest news organizations in the world, has
struggled to find its footing in the streaming era. Last year, the company shut
down the CNN+ streaming service just a few weeks after its launch. The network
is also seeking leadership stability. Earlier this month, CEO Chris Licht
stepped down after a brief and tumultuous tenure at the network.
While CNN is widely distributed on satellite and cable-TV
systems globally, having its live programming appear on Max could provide a
significant boost to the network's audience.
CNN's subscribers have fallen to 70 million this year from
85 million in 2020, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. At the end
of March, Warner Bros. Discovery had about 100 million streaming subscribers
between HBO, HBO Max and Discovery+. © Bloomberg
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