CNN to shut down streaming service a month after launch

CNN has announced that it will shut down its brand new streaming service, CNN+, just after a month since its launch.

Launched on March 29 and deemed an important milestone for the international news channel, the much-awaited CNN+ will officially shut down on April 30.

The decision was made by new management after CNN's former parent company, WarnerMedia, merged with Discovery to form Warner Bros Discovery earlier this month, CNN Business said.

"While today's decision is incredibly difficult, it is the right one for the long-term success of CNN," Chris Licht, the incoming president of CNN, wrote in a memo to staff, according to the New York Times.

"It allows us to refocus resources on the core products that drive our singular focus: further enhancing CNN's journalism and its reputation as a global news leader."

CNN+ was launched with the network investing tens of millions of dollars in the venture and running an aggressive marketing campaign as it tried to break into America's competitive streaming marketplace.

It had also lured talent from other networks including former Fox News anchor Chris Wallace.

Hundreds of CNN+ staff, many of whom had only just been hired, were told of the decision to close on Thursday.