So far, CNN+ feels Quibi-esque

Vulture

CNN's streaming service launched on Tuesday with a lot of big names, but a $6 per month subscription fee -- $3 for early subscribers -- that  doesn't actually get you access to CNN, says Josef Adalian. "While it’s far too early to reach any definitive judgements, CNN+ in its formative phase feels somewhat like the Quibi of streaming news: Lots of money has been spent, big stars are onboard, but it’s hard to figure out just what the service is supposed to be and why a large number of people will want to pay for it," says Adalian. "As with Jeffrey Katzenberg’s failed experiment in miniaturizing content, the production quality of the handful of CNN+ originals in production so far is top-notch, comparable to anything on the cable channel. The star wattage of the service’s anchor lineup is also undeniable: All the big names are involved, from Anderson to Wolf, much the same way Quibi was able to brag about its projects from Kevin Hart, J.Lo, and The Rock. The problem with CNN+ isn’t that what’s on the service is in any way subpar. It’s that the promise implied by the name — the comprehensive news coverage of CNN plus programming you can’t find on the linear cable channel — comes nowhere close to being fulfilled by the actual product."