Starting later this year, CNN will change its business model on its Web site, CNN.com, by introducing streaming programming directly on the platform, Sir Mark Thompson, chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said told attendees of last week’s INMA World Congress of News Media in New York.

“The heart, the true heart, of the CNN brand lies in images, video, and live coverage of major news stories, as well as in our leading anchors and reporters broadcasting live — whether from the field or from the studio.,” he said. “That hasn’t been widely available on CNN.com, but beginning this fall, it will become one of its core features.”

Digital growth strategy

When asked whether expanding streaming services would require more content production, Thompson said the plan is for the current production team to evolve.

He cited reporter Kaitlan Collins as an example. Collins anchors CNN’s 9 p.m. The Source newscast in the United States while also serving as the network’s chief White House correspondent. He noted that throughout the day, she’s already producing video content that feeds into the evening broadcast.

“And that’s only the beginning of the evolution of that programme,” he added.

Thompson, however, clarified that the goal is not to simply replicate CNN’s traditional newscasts in the new streaming offerings on the Web platform. The network will pay close attention to how this new strategy adapts to mobile phones, connected TVs, and more, he said.

“My vision is that anyone, anywhere in the world, from any digital device, should be able to access CNN content whenever they want,” he said.

Thompson denied CNN is losing ground in the media market, saying CNN now reaches a larger cable television audience than it did 10 or 20 years ago. What creates the impression of decline, he explained, is most users are shifting from traditional cable TV to CNN’s digital platforms.

“Our Web site receives around 150 million unique visitors per month,” he said. “And we have many, many deeply engaged users on CNN.com.”

Because of this, he noted the future lies in digital platforms that can be expanded, something that presents a significant challenge in execution, but one that CNN is equipped to tackle as a relevant and powerful brand.

“So I wouldn’t be quick to dismiss the idea of an ‘owned and operated’ brand,” he added. “I don’t think we can become massive digital platforms in the same way that YouTube or Instagram are. They are platforms in and of themselves. But we do have a unique space.”

Paying subscribers

For now, Thompson said CNN.com is exceeding its internal goals for attracting subscribers to its Web site. These subscribers have been gained through a different kind of paywall, one that allows users to access content freely up to a certain point, he said.

“So only the most engaged, most regular, most frequent users end up paying,” he said. “A paywall doesn’t exclude everyone. It only excludes those who are very, very engaged and still don’t want to pay. It’s a different kind of audience.”

Thompson acknowledged the value each user places on journalistic content is lower than it used to be, back when people had fewer sources of information, such as television or newspapers. That’s why, he said, the number of people experiencing the value of content must be global.

“You’ll have to find a way, within that large number, to attract and deeply engage a percentage of them. It might be a small percentage, but if the total number is big, even a small percentage means a lot of people.” 

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