After floating a plan to create a paywall for some of its most frequent users, CNN has officially enacted the plan and pricing today.
The network — which features one of the most popular news websites in the world — is now asking some visitors to pay $3.99 per month for access to its digital news products.
“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,” CNN Executive Vice President of Digital Products and Services Alex MacCallum wrote in an internal memo.
“Only after users consume a certain number of free articles will they be prompted to subscribe,” she continued. “In addition to unlimited access to CNN.com’s articles, subscribers will receive benefits like exclusive election features, original documentaries, a curated daily selection of our most distinctive journalism, and fewer digital ads.”
CNN is utilizing a similar approach that The New York Times and many other news outlets feature. New CNN CEO Mark Thompson previously worked at that news organization before joining the cable network.
It was also revealed that, in spite of the paywall for news content, the cable news network was not planning any additional programming or extra content launches after enacting the new subscription model.
Despite the paywall, much of the network’s current content — like the homepage, breaking news stories, live updates to stories, standalone video pages, and show highlights — will remain free for users and will not count against the limit of free articles or stories readers can access monthly.
