The reasons to have a cable subscription have diminished rapidly in recent years, and now Max is giving you another excuse to cut the cord. On Thursday, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that a 24/7 new channel called CNN Max is coming to the Max streaming service on September 27. CNN Max will stream 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with shows and live programming from CNN US, CNN International, and original content specifically for Max.
According to WBD’s press release, original programming available exclusively on CNN Max will include new offerings like “CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta, Rahel Solomon, Amara Walker and Fredricka Whitfield,” and “CNN Newsroom with Jim Sciutto.” Sciutto will also lead breaking news coverage on the platform in the afternoons.
Beyond original content, CNN Max will also feature “Amanpour,” “Anderson Cooper 360,” “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” and “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”
JB Perrette, CEO and President of Global Streaming and Games for Warner Bros. Discovery, says: “CNN Max is differentiated by having 24/7 news at its core from CNN, the leading global news organization, and being available on a scaled streaming service in the U.S., which has a significantly younger and additive audience compared to traditional TV.”
When the live service launches, the CNN Originals hub on Max will be renamed CNN Max. The hub gives subscribers access to the CNN Max 24/7 live stream, CNN Originals, and other news content, including over 900 episodes of current and legacy programming, such as “The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper” and “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.”
WBD says that the launch of CNN Max will be part of an “open beta for news,” during which the company will collect data and feedback to expand its news output. Given the current news cycle and the fast-approaching 2024 presidential election, the timing certainly makes sense.
With most FAST services like The Roku Channel, Tubi, and Pluto TV, live news is already widely accessible for free, but Max is putting a premium spin on streaming news. After losing nearly two million subscribers last quarter, the streamer needs to add value somehow.