CNN launches new free streaming channel for original programming
ATLANTA – CNN is once again merging into the FAST lane.
CNN announced Wednesday it is launching CNN Originals, a new free ad-supported streaming television channel – called FAST for short – that will air shows from its library of original series, and plans to add more channels in the future.
“Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown,” “This is Life with Lisa Ling” and “Amanpour: Sex and Love Around the World” are among the titles on the channel, which is available on Amazon Freevee, Fire TV and Prime Video, along with Plex. Additional platforms will support the channel in the days ahead, according to a news release from the news organization.
This is CNN’s third foray into FAST television, and reflects the organization’s growing emphasis on its digital product. In a memo to employees in July, the network’s new CEO Mark Thompson said one of his key goals is to “find a clear pathway to migrate the TV experience into the digital future.” This means creating a digital product “that is ambitious enough to deliver the audiences and the revenue we need to maintain our unique journalistic firepower and succeed as a business.”
CNN launched its first FAST channel, called CNN Fast, in May of last year and CNN Headlines three months later.
FAST is a rapidly-growing segment of the media industry, and represents shifts in the way households approach watching and streaming TV.
FAST channels offer free programming in a live format similar to cable, satellite or traditional TV. Viewers do not pay a subscription to watch them, and instead watch commercials.
Popular platforms include Freevee, Plex, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel and Tubi, but there are countless others. They offer a variety of content. There are channels dedicated to specific genres, such as movies from the 1990s or game shows from the 1970s. There are also channels dedicated to airing episodes from one program or franchise, such as “Top Chef,” “Cake Boss” or “The Real Housewives.”
The growth of FAST is partly driven by consumers’ discontent over chasing content across multiple subscriptions. Consumers are supplementing or replacing their subscriptions with FAST platforms to cut down on costs, or to lean into the feel of classic TV. A 2023 Deloitte survey found about 60% of households used a free, ad-supported video service.
CNN also plans to create a subscription-only product by the end of the year, Thompson outlined in his July memo.
Additional titles available on the CNN Originals channel are “Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta;” “Diana, Lincoln: Divided We Stand;” “Soundtracks: Songs That Defined History;” “The Wonder List with Bill Weir;” “United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell” and others.