by Sherif Awad

CNN announced it will be launching its own subscription streaming service in early 2022.

CNN+, as the upcoming service is called, launches amid continued growth of content streaming services led by Netflix. It will co-exist with CNN’s TV and cable offerings, featuring 8 to 12 hours of live programming, CNN shows, and some original programs for CNN+. The service will be a mix of live, on-demand, and interactive programming.

Pilots for new shows have been ongoing in recent weeks, promising prominent CNN talent along with new ones.

Shows that will be on the service include Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, This is Life with Lisa Ling, and United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell.

CNN+ will also have an interactive component that allows the community “to engage directly with our talent and experts about the issues that matter most to them,” according to Andrew Morse, CNN’s chief digital officer who will be the executive in charge of the service.

CNN invented cable news in 1980, defined online news in 1995 and now is taking an important step in expanding what news can be by launching a direct-to-consumer streaming subscription service in 2022,” Jeff Zucker, president of CNN Worldwide and chairman of WarnerMedia News and Sports said in a statement.

It will debut in the US first before rolling out in other countries. About 450 people will be hired, from producers to marketers, for the new service. Pricing has not yet been announced for CNN+. –