CNN+ will launch during the last week of March, according to a March 2 interview in the L.A. Times with Chief Digital Offer Andrew Morse. And early adopters will get a lower rate “for life” — or as long as they keep that initial account active.
Initial subscriptions to CNN+ will cost $3 a month, and that rate will stay true so long as the account stays active. That plan will also launch without advertising. The $6-a-month/$60-a-year plan — which is the price listed on the CNN+ website — will kick in if that initial subscription is canceled.
“We’re thrilled to offer CNN+’s world-class journalism, premium storytelling, and Interview Club platform at this attractive price,” Morse said in a press release. “Nothing like CNN+ exists. There is no news and nonfiction streaming subscription offering available today, and only CNN can create and deliver a global news product with this kind of value to consumers.”
CNN+ will be integrated into the main CNN app, just like how ESPN+ is available within the ESPN app. The main CNN app — which will lose the “CNN Go” branding — will include linear feeds of CNN, CNN International, HLN, and CNN en Español, but those will require a separate pay TV subscription. CNN+ is separate — a “completely distinct experience.” It’ll have new live shows, originals series, and interactive features that don’t necessarily lend themselves to traditional TV.
While CNN+ hasn’t listed which platforms it’ll be available on, CNN says it’ll be found “through a variety of subscription options, and downloadable on a multitude of devices including smartphones, tablets and a wide range of smart entertainment platforms.” Barring any weirdness, that almost certainly means you’ll be able to watch CNN+ on Roku and Amazon Fire TV, which are the two biggest streaming platforms in the world. There’s also Android TV, Google TV, and Apple TV, as well as web browsers. But we’ll have to wait for a definitive list, as it’s not unknown for even popular systems to be left out.
Sign-ups aren’t yet available, but you can give CNN your email for updates at CNNPlus.com.
