Scoop: CNN to launch new "CNN Weather" app
Why it matters: It's part of a broader plan by the network to invest more in lifestyle and subscription news products as part of its digital transformation under its CEO Mark Thompson.
The network also plans to introduce a new cross-platform streaming service this year.
Zoom in: CNN Weather will combine expertise from CNN's meteorology and climate teams in a mobile-first app that will provide targeted local weather forecasts and 24/7 coverage of major regional and national weather events, CNN's EVP of digital products and services Alex MacCallum told employees in a town hall Tuesday.
Thompson plans to officially announce the news at its advertising presentation in New York on Wednesday, a source said.
The app will be available for free to start, but it's expected to eventually be paywalled.
A spokesperson confirmed the launch and provided a comment from MacCallum, who said, "As we build out a subscription portfolio and offering for our users, we are looking to launch a series of lifestyle-oriented products that become essential to people's everyday lives. Weather is a natural fit for our audience and for the CNN portfolio."
Zoom out: CNN has been beefing up its climate and weather teams ahead of launch.
The company, which has decades of experience covering breaking weather events, is considered an authority in emergency weather events, especially internationally.
The company was one of the first major international outlets on the ground to cover the catastrophic flooding in Libya in 2023, as well as the Turkey-Syria earthquakes that same year.
CNN is nominated for an Emmy for Hurricane Milton coverage from last year.
The big picture: CNN's digital evolution has been rocky amid leadership and ownership changes.
The network launched a subscription streaming app, CNN+, in 2022, only to have it shuttered weeks after launch by its new owners, Warner Bros. Discovery.
What's next: CNN Weather is likely the first of many lifestyle and subscription products that CNN will experiment with as it looks to find its future beyond cable.
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