CNN on HBO Max - Is This The New Dawn For Live Channels on OTT?

If you all remember, CNN had experimented with CNN+ – its first live-streaming channel over Discovery+. Unfortunately, that experiment lasted for about a month, as Warner Bros. Discovery stopped streaming it stating extremely low viewership. After a year of this setback, CNN is coming back with its live channel on HBO Max, as CNN Max – a service that will be available to all tiers of Max at no added cost from 27 September 2023 onwards.

CNN Max will showcase CNN originals along with live broadcasts from CNN US and CNN International. It will be a 24×7 service. In this blog, we will tell you everything you need to know about CNN Max, why it’s important, and how it will impact the future of streaming. So, let’s begin!

Cable News Network, or what we more fondly know as CNN, was the world’s first 24×7 news channel when it was launched on June 1, 1980. It has been a long journey since then, that has seen both ups and downs.

In the last few years, the channel’s shine had somewhat faded, owing to their then CEO. But a few weeks back, Sir Mark Thompson, who has previously seen immense success in the BBC and the New York Times, was appointed the new CEO of CNN.

Under the Newly appointed but heavily experienced and well-respected CEO, CNN is expected to come out of the low times and shine brighter than before. And that is why, they have reframed their schedule with new shows for Chris Wallace, Abby Phillip, and many more.

It has recently been announced that the channel will now be giving new weeknight shows to Abby Phillip and Laura Coates, while new weekend shows will be given to Christiane Amanpour and Chris Wallace.

While talking of HBO Max, let’s clarify it right here, that it is not HBO Max anymore. In May 2023, it has been renamed as “Max”. Along with the name, the user interface has also changed a bit, making it more convenient for users to discover new content to watch. Also, it now hosts many content that was previously available over Discovery+.

Along with the CNN Max, many other shows and content are coming to Max this September. The list contains A Discovery of Witches, Annabelle, Blade, A Cinderella Story, Doctor Sleep, The Exorcist, and many more!

By now, you must be thinking, so what’s new if CNN does come on Max? Well, at a time when many OTT services are discontinuing live feeds, Max is taking up a new version of live TV channel streaming. And this is why this move is quite significant!

On August 30, SonyLiv stopped the broadcast of live TV channels over its platform. Though local legal regulations of India are pretty much to blame here, lowering interest in TV shows and lowered viewerships can also be blamed.

Also, CNN itself had faced the wrath of lower viewership last year, when they had to stop streaming for CNN+. So, taking up a similar assignment again can go both ways for the news giants.

Also this time, they are having a slightly different approach. They say that CNN Max will be a part of an open beta