Max is pulling CNN and sports from some US subscribers starting on March 30

People who subscribe to Max at the ad-supported tier will no longer be able to access CNN or Bleacher Report (B/R) Sports content through the service starting on March 30, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) announced this week.

At that time, only people subscribed to one of Max’s more expensive, ad-free subscription tiers will be able to access Max’s live news and sports hubs.

In a statement accompanying the announcement, JB Perrette, CEO and president of global streaming and games at WBD, said the decision to change access to CNN Max and B/R Sports, which includes MLB, NBA, NHL and other live sporting events, followed over a year of assessing how people watch news and sports on Max.

“We’ve been actively involved in exploring ways to evolve the sports distribution ecosystem in the US. We believe that the best place for that content for now is within the Standard and Premium tiers,” Perrette said. The change will also enable “ongoing investment in” WBD’s “premium sports and news portfolio,” the executive claimed.

The news is likely to disappoint some subscribers who have resorted to putting up with ads to save money in an increasingly expensive streaming world. After March, to access CNN Max and B/R Sports, ad-tier subscribers would have to pay 70 percent more per month ($10 versus $17) or 70 percent more annually ($100 versus $170) than their current rate. It’s also worth noting that the live content these subscribers are losing inherently have ads, something that Basic with Ads tier subscribers openly accept.

WBD originally launched CNN Max in the US as an open beta in September 2023, promising “live programming from CNN US, CNN International, and feature original programming built specifically for Max.” WBD initially said CNN Max would be free with all Max subscriptions. The website for CNN Max used to read that CNN was “available to all Max subscribers at no additional cost,” per the Wayback Machine. Now, the website explains that widespread access will end in March.