CNN was removed from DirecTV in early 2024 due to a dispute between the network’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, and DirecTV’s parent company, AT&T. The issue revolved around negotiations over carriage fees, which are the payments made by satellite and cable providers to networks for broadcasting their channels.
In this case, Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly demanded higher fees for CNN, and DirecTV, which has been trying to reduce its costs and improve its profitability, rejected the terms. As a result, CNN, along with other Warner Bros. Discovery-owned channels, was taken off DirecTV, which includes satellite services and streaming options like DirecTV Stream.
This is part of a broader trend in the TV industry, where traditional cable and satellite providers are experiencing declines in subscribers, leading them to seek ways to cut costs or renegotiate deals with content providers. CNN’s removal from DirecTV sparked significant debate about the future of traditional television and the rising importance of streaming services.
