Outgoing WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar shared his thoughts on CNN+, which launched last week, during an interview with CNBC’s “TechCrunch,” where he offered positive remarks regarding the streaming platform.
“It’s ahead of my expectations in terms of where the subscribers are, the engagement [is], the receptiveness that we’re getting in terms of people’s response to the journalists of CNN+,” Kilar said. “I couldn’t be more proud of that team.”
Furthermore, Kilar calls the streaming platform, which includes content from Chris Wallace, Wolf Blitzer, Kate Bolduan, Brian Stelter, Jake Tapper, and Don Lemon, the “future of CNN.”
However, Business Insider did not paint a flattering picture of subscriber increase, representing “more of a whimper than a bang.” The report shared information from measurement firm Sensor Tower; the CNN app has seen only slight growth in downloads since launching.
According to the measurement, on its first day, the CNN mobile app brought in 18,000 new downloads, a leap from 9,000 the previous week. Nonetheless, a spokesperson for CNN declined to share subscriber figures but stated of Insider’s subscriber dimensions: “Those numbers are incorrect.”
“We are off to a very strong start. Couldn’t feel better about about the journalism, the storytelling, the team, the product or the customer response,” Executive VP and Chief Digital Officer Andrew Morse tweeted.
Eduardo Razo is the Assistant Content Editor for BNM, which includes writing daily news stories on the news media industry. He can be found on Twitter @eddierazo_ or you can reach him by email at eddie1991razo@gmail.com.
