Max, the streaming service that is owned and operated by Warner Bros. Discovery, recently added CNN to its catalog and promptly noted a loss of 700k streaming subscribers. This move joins many others in a long line of head-scratching decisions made by executives of the world’s largest streaming platforms.
CNN was added to the Max streaming service on September 27th as the company closed out the quarter just three days later. The streaming service formerly known as HBOMax announced that it lost 700k paying subscribers in that period.
The addition of CNN was not enough to keep a viewer base that was clamoring for more and better content for its money. It’s a bit ridiculous to think that CNN would have had the effect that Warner Bros. Discovery was hoping for, as the network has found itself outright hated by the right-wing in America and barely supported by the Left, who says that the outlet is too neutral.
One such reason that CNN may not have been able to retain the fleeing audience is the constant overreaction and dramatic style of “reporting” that the network propagates. For example, The American Tribune wrote about the ridiculous reaction that the network’s on-screen talent had to reports that Donald Trump was polling well against Joe Biden.
It’s crazy that Max has decided to prioritize this kind of television over shows that gave HBO such a strong name. We have also seen Paramount Studios and Paramount Plus receive massive boosts in viewers and subscribers following its hit Yellowstone series and the subsequent shows that Taylor Sheridan has been creating for the network.
Yet still, Warner Bros. Discovery decided that the missing link for Max was CNN. Baffling.
CNN, on its own, continues to plummet in view ship. Rob Mattox of The American Tribune reported on that, saying that CNN has hit rock bottom. Who knows, though, CNN can surely continue to fall even lower if its executives do not quickly pick up the slack and create shows that viewers want to watch.
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Even the cleaning house, which saw Brian Stelter and Don Lemon lose their primetime rolls, was not even close to enough to stop the skid that is taking place for Donald Trump’s nemesis, CNN. It is becoming more and more clear that the outlet made a massive error when it came after the former president as early as the 2016 presidential election.
With Max bringing CNN in, there are certainly expectations within the company that the news agency will be able to bolster the offerings of the streaming service enough that fans stop leaving for greener pastures. The problem is, with rising prices of streaming services, fans are forced to pick and choose between their many subscriptions and cut a couple out to make the budget work. And it sure does not seem like CNN is going to be enough to keep Max in the black next quarter.