News streaming service CNN+ is struggling to gain viewers two weeks after its debut, according to an anonymous source that spoke with CNBC. According to the source, less than 10,000 viewers use the service daily.
While CNN noted that it "[continues] to be happy with the launch and its progress," the media outlet and its parent company Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD), have yet to release total subscriber numbers. However, follow-up reporting by Insider provided some insight into the low enthusiasm for the service. Using SensorTower data, it was discovered that the CNN app, which is required to view CNN+, experienced under 100,000 new installations after the launch.
While this glosses over the viewers that may have already had the app, when combined with fewer daily viewers than a moderately-successful YouTube account, it would seem that CNN+ is so far having the same experience as Quibi. The short-form content of the ill-fated streaming app was intriguing conceptually, but it failed to convert free users into paid ones after its free trial period expired. For CNN+, the issue seems to be a botched rollout that has soured the opinions of some regular users.
Looking to SensorTower's data on reviews of the CNN app shows a sharp uptick in negative reviews after an update to add CNN+. A quick visit to both the Google Play Stores (parent company Alphabet, (NASDAQ: GOOGL)) and Apple App Store (NASDAQ: AAPL) reveals that expected features such as live news streams are not present and that the update brought bugs to the app. While the app remains highly rated, many users left recent reviews noting that content previously accessible for free had been paywalled and that CNN+ still had advertising despite the paid subscription.
CNN+'s weak launch will likely not bode well for it in a streaming market with such tight competition that consumers are overwhelmed by the amount of choices. As many reviewers noted on both app stores, competitors boast similar or better features for free within their apps. The decision to lock popular content behind a paywall will likely sting CNN, especially as the news outlet's cable news programs drop in viewership.