CNN will begin charging a monthly fee of $3.99 for unlimited access to its news website, joining a growing number of news organizations implementing paywalls. The news organization – part of Warner Bros Discovery – says it will ask users in the United States to pay a “small recurring fee” in order to gain unlimited access.
“Only after users consume a certain number of free articles will they be prompted to subscribe,” said Alex MacCallum, CNN’s executive vice president of digital products and services in a memo issued to staff on Tuesday. “In addition to unlimited access to CNN.com’s articles, subscribers will receive benefits like exclusive election features, original documentaries, a curated daily selection of our most distinctive journalism, and fewer digital ads.”
MacCallum worked alongside Mark Thompson at The New York Times, admired within media circles for its ability to convert readers of its news content and consumers of word games and crossword puzzles into paying subscribers.
The strategy comes as CNN has returned to Virgin Media viewers in the UK after a three-year break when attempts to raise its carriage fee failed. It had also dropped its free-to-air feed from Freesat.
In 2022, CNN attempted to create its own direct-to-consumer product, CNN+, which lasted a matter of days before being closed as Discovery took control of the newly merged entity. Subsequently, CNN content has been added to Warner Bros Discovery’s streaming service Max.
Meanwhile, Reuters announced that it will also launch a paywall for its website and app in early October. The $1 a week fee is on a par with the new CNN fee.