These Three Tweets Show CNN Plus May Already Be Screwed
CNN heralded the launch of its streaming service Tuesday as a “historic moment” for the network, but there have already been signs of trouble — in the form of three tweets.
SO WHAT
As Allahpundit put it, “[I]f they’re not already preparing for layoffs, they probably should be.”
THE TWEETS
A day after CNN Plus made its “historic” debut, Fox Business senior correspondent Charles Gasparino reported disappointing-looking sales have employees “bracing for layoffs.”
1. Gasparino tweeted the news, saying CNN’s new majority owner, Discovery, could absorb the channel into its preexisting streaming platform as early as May.
Breaking: @CNNplus employees bracing for layoffs possibly as soon as May amid projections of lackluster sales of new streaming channel; CNN employees say new streaming channel could be merged into larger @discoveryplus as early as May unless subscriptions pick up 130 @FoxBusiness
— Charles Gasparino (@CGasparino) March 30, 2022
2. Matt Dornic, CNN’s head of strategic communications, replied that, actually, CNN was “only bracing for long run success” — but few Twitter users seemed convinced.
— jimtreacher.substack.com (@jtLOL) March 30, 2022
3. Completing the trifecta, CNN Plus’ customer support account then replied to Dornic, apparently confusing him for a subscriber amid an overeager — some said desperate — welcome campaign.
— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) March 30, 2022
WHAT’S NEXT
In a Wednesday blog post, Allahpundit wrote “a concept like CNN+ seems doomed to fail quickly, no?
- “Which demographic out there is willing to pay money for more content from a cable network that’s chronically in third place in the ratings? Fox and MSNBC at least can leverage hardcore partisan bases,” he said.
- “But hey. For your six bucks, you get Brian Stelter at 11 a.m. ET. Every day.”