What do news viewers want? It isn't what CNN All Access is serving
What are news consumers looking for from a news service in 2025? What I know is that CNN All Access isn’t it.
CNN’s subscription video service has gone live today, offering multiple live TV streams of news coverage and exclusive content. And none of it seems match fit.
All Access, which is US only at launch, costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year. An intro price of $41.99 for the first year is on offer.
The service offers 5 linear channels:
– CNN Stream – live news channel featuring CNN U.S. programming and select CNN International programs
– CNN Headlines – FAST channel featuring an original, curated news feed with live news and roundups of the day’s top stories
– CNN International – Live global coverage from CNN International bureaus available weekdays from 9am-5pm ET
– CNN Originals – FAST channel programmed with acclaimed long-form content from the library of CNN Original Series and CNN Films
– Live feeds – Unfiltered live access and special coverage of breaking news and events
There is also on-demand video:
Curated clips, daily catch-up shows and full episodes of CNN’s Primetime shows are available on demand, in addition to offering:
– 5 Things with Kate Bolduan brings you the morning’s top five stories that get you up to speed and on with your day, hosted by CNN Anchor Kate Bolduan.
– CNN Anchor Anderson Cooper’s brand-new streaming show, All There Is Live, builds on his award-winning podcast about grief, All There Is. On this live, weekly show Cooper talks with guests and viewers about their experiences with grief and loss.
– Quick videos breaking down the internet’s top trending searches of the day. Building on CNN.com’s vast knowledge of what audiences are interested in, we go deeper into topics that people are searching for - and why.
– The Enten Scale cuts through convenient narratives to reveal the secrets behind the numbers. From conversations in the office to interactions across the country, CNN Chief Data Analyst Harry Enten’s insights bring deeper meaning to the day’s biggest stories.
– Devoted brings CNN subscribers inside the modern search for meaning. CNN Senior Correspondent Donie O’Sullivan joins people on their spiritual journeys as they question societal norms and search for new sources of meaning in a fractured world where trust in institutions has eroded.
– Exclusive, best-in-class field reporting, revelatory storytelling and in-depth interviews available only through this new All Access subscription offering.
I can’t wait to watch that flagship show with Anderson Cooper talking about grief every week… where do I sign up?
All of this seems to miss the point on where news consumption is heading. The problem is right here in this quote I found on Deadline from digital chief Alex MacCallum:
“This new streaming offering is unique in the news space – nothing like it exists in the marketplace,” said Alex MacCallum, EVP, Digital Products and Services, CNN Worldwide, in a statement. “We’re delivering all of CNN’s industry-leading journalism in one place, accessible on any device. Whether you are a fan of the live and premium video storytelling on which CNN built its name, or prefer snackable content that catches you up on the day’s essential news and lifestyle stories, audiences can now engage with and consume the full breadth of world-class storytelling CNN and its trusted journalists are known for, however works best for them.”
Are we still talking about “snackable” content’ in 2025? It’s actually just content now.
Cable television, like all linear television, demands structure and format. It is disorientating sitting on a couch with just a barrage of stories being served at you without a hosted format guiding the viewer through it.
But digital demands a disaggregation. As soon as someone has a phone or tablet in their hands, they want to take greater control over the feed.
Because CNN head honcho Mark Thompson is the guy that led the New York Times’ highly successful push into digital, the All Access launch narrative is closely entwined with his previous project. But when you look at the NYT app in 2025, it is so much closer to where CNN needs to be than CNN seems to be looking right now.
There’s that famous quote from Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos from just after Netflix got into the business of originals that the goal “is to become HBO faster than HBO can become us.”
Mark Thompson needs to be taking on this mindset in regards to the New York Times. CNN should have the advantage here - consumers are pivoting to video in a really major way. News works very well as a video product. And CNN has all of the infrastructure and know-how in place.
But take a look at the New York Times app right now and it is so far ahead in its conception than where CNN is. It is still very text-led, but it has a Watch section which, when loaded, delivers a curated video feed with topical news stories, along with tech, lifestyle, and culture stories.
That should be the main experience of CNN as a video news product. Modern day news viewers want to jump on and be hit immediately with the news stories that matter of the moment. And if they don’t care, just flick up and experience the next story.
It should also be a mix of curation and algorithmic stories. Because it is news, we do expect to be served some vegetables along with the video that will actually keep us watching.
The linear feeds are good - when there is specific news we care about, they will be there for us to stick with rolling coverage. Plus, they are engaging in a connected TV environment. But linear news doesn’t work so well on mobile. None of this should be surprising information at this point, yet here we are with a linear, long-form news-focused CNN launching.
What do we want from a news product? For most people, I think the answer is more thoughtful, higher quality TikTok videos. Give us that and access to rolling news when we need it and you’ll get people handing over their $7 a month.
What we don’t want to pay money for is a couple of hours every day of Jake Tapper doing his usual show and Anderson Cooper having a cry.
The New York Times isn’t serving up any of that nonsense. CNN needs to become the New York Times before the NYT becomes them… which is really a matter of months away at the current rate.
Streamers, if you are going global… act like it
The Scrubs revival series debuts Feb 25 on the US ABC with next-day streaming on Hulu. Variety has the story about that today (though, that’s it… that’s the entire story).
What Variety doesn’t report is whether Scrubs will be available globally on Hulu, which is now a global brand available through Disney+ and replacing Star (which was global everywhere-ish except for the US).
This is a regular occurrence I find putting this newsletter together - there are these large global streaming services, but all of the programming announcements are US focused until they filter through to the local marketing teams internationally. That can sometimes take days and by that time, I have moved on.
So much money gets spent on TV shows and movies, with a sizeable chunk of money going towards promotional expenses. Why not score an easy win by reducing spend on downstream promotional expenses by just announcing global availability and launch dates at the time of the initial announcement?
A conscious uncoupling for Disney and the BBC over Doctor Who
For the last three weeks, I have had multiple conversations each day with my four year-old child (the future publisher of ABW) about when Halloween is. It is endless. So, my sympathies go out to those dealing with a Doctor Who fan at home who today will discover that the show is coming back… for a Christmas special in 2026.
Russell T Davies will write the special and we don’t know much more beyond that, except that it will not be in partnership with Disney.
That relationship has come to an end.
Lindsay Salt, Director of Drama, BBC said in a statement: “We’d like to thank Disney+ for being terrific global partners and collaborators over the past two seasons, and for the upcoming The War Between the Land and the Sea.
“The BBC remains fully committed to Doctor Who, which continues to be one of our most loved dramas, and we are delighted that Russell T Davies has agreed to write us another spectacular Christmas special for 2026,” she added. “We can assure fans, the Doctor is not going anywhere, and we will be announcing plans for the next series in due course which will ensure the TARDIS remains at the heart of the BBC.”
Reportedly, it was Disney’s inaction that held up the announcement of a return for the doctor. Read more at Radio Times and Deadline.
And that spin-off series, The War Between the Land and the Sea… it seems like the BBC is keen to get past the Disney relationship as quickly as possible. The show was originally set for 2026, but is now being brought forward for release on BBC One and the iPlayer before the end of this year. Read: Radio Times
News Desk
Only Murders in The Building has been confirmed for a sixth season. Read: THR
Paramount has expanded its deal with the UFC to include streaming rights for Paramount+ in Latin America and Australia beginning next year. Paramount, which is taking the Australian rights from DAZN-owned provider Foxtel will offer all 30 Fight Nights as well as the prelims for all the marquee numbered events. Read: THR
Happy 97th birthday to beloved TV star Marion Ross from Happy Days. Read: Instagram
Fawlty Towers actress Prunella Scales has died aged 93. Read: BBC
Amazon is eliminating 14,000 jobs across different areas, with AI advancements among the reasons cited. Read: Deadline
Amazon Games will be a division hit hard by the layoffs. It has announced today that it is exiting the large scale MMO business. Read: Deadline
One Piece will return to Netflix March 10 for season 2. Read: The Verge
CBC has launched a 24/7 ad-free CBC Kids streaming channel on CBC Gem and the CBC Kids YouTube channel. Read: C21
Married With Children stars Ed O’Neill, Katey Sagal, Christina Applegate, and David Faustino will make a rare appearance together for an LA panel chat in January. No Amanda Bearse who played Marcy? Ted McGinley (Jefferson)? David Garrison (Steve)? Read: THR
Kids with a lazy eye are being ordered to strap on a VR headset and watch TV through it for an hour. Crunchyroll has just partnered with Luminopia to provide content for their platform. Read: THR
Ray Romano is joining the season 2 cast of Netflix comedy Running Point. Read: Deadline
Sony says it is not keen on chasing Warner Bros Discovery. Read: Nikkei Asia
Trailer Park
An expansion to Avatar game Frontiers of Pandora will be released to coincide with the debut of Avatar: Fire and Ash in cinemas. From The Ashes debuts Dec 19. An update to Frontiers of Pandora will roll-out on Dec 5. Read: Polygon
That’s the newsletter for today.
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