CNN's new streaming service is reportedly off to a rough start, with less than 10,000 daily users

CNN Plus — A promotional image of CNN+, the new paid streaming service from CNN.
CNN

At the end of March, CNN launched a paid streaming service: CNN+.
Two weeks later, the service is struggling to attract viewers.
CNN+ has less than 10,000 viewers at any given time, CNBC reported on Tuesday.

On March 29, yet another new paid video streaming service became available: For $5.99 each month, CNN+ offers access to a library of new and old shows starring well-known faces from the cable news channel.

That includes every season of Anthony Bourdain's "Parts Unknown," which concluded with Bourdain's passing in 2018, as well as new shows made specifically for the new service, like "Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?" The library is a mix of news shows hosted by CNN personalities like Anderson Cooper and Christiane Amanpour, and culture shows hosted by celebrities like W. Kamau Bell and Anthony Tucci.

But just over two weeks after launch, the service is already struggling to attract viewers: Less than 10,000 people are using CNN+ at any given time, according to a new CNBC report citing unnamed sources.

That's an especially weak launch in the context of its competition: Disney Plus boasted over 10 million subscribers on its first day, and NBC's Peacock reported that many subscribers in its first quarter.

Worse, it's nowhere near the number of users CNN was hoping for — upwards of 2 million subscribers were projected for the first year of CNN Plus, according to an Axios report.

CNN+ is one of several streaming services from CNN parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, including HBO Max and Discovery Plus. Its launch is complicated by the just-completed merger of Warner Bros. with Discovery, and the shakeup in leadership at CNN following the sudden departure of former leader Jeff Zucker.

"We continue to be happy with the launch and its progress after only two weeks," a CNN spokesperson told Insider.

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