CNN launches paywall, to charge $3.99 a month for some users

(Reuters) – CNN has rolled out a paywall and is asking some of its users to pay $3.99 a month for access to its content, the news website said on Tuesday, as it looks to generate a digital revenue stream.

The move comes at a time when several publications such as the New York Times have already launched and seen success with subscription models that have helped boost subscriber numbers.

With cable television viewership and revenue dwindling, news organizations including CNN are looking to cash in on digital media to offset the decline in TV, which had previously been a key source of revenue.

“Starting today, we are asking users in the United States to pay a small recurring fee for unlimited access to CNN.com’s world-class articles,” said Alex MacCallum, CNN’s executive vice president of digital products and services.

The subscription push is also in tandem with CNN CEO Mark Thompson’s plans to shift the company away from being a television-focused organization to a multi-platform news company by bolstering its digital business.

CNN, owned by Warner Bros Discovery, will push for subscription only after users have read a certain number of free articles a month, MacCallum added.

Subscribers will have access to CNN’s articles and other content including original documentaries and exclusive election features. They will also have access to daily curated news selection and see fewer ads, the company said.

The paid subscription is in its preliminary form and it will expand over time to meet users’ needs, CNN said.

(Reporting by Priyanka G in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)