‘Too few people subscribed’ to CNN Pipeline
Cory Bergman June 26th, 2007
In a note posted on CNN.com’s Behind the Scenes blog, CNN.com SVP and GM David Payne thanks Pipeline’s paying subscribers and explains why the site is switching to a free video strategy. “As popular as the service was, it became clear to us that reaching true scale was going to be impossible if the product remained a pay service,” he writes. “Remember that our entire mission is about getting more news to more people on more platforms, and too few people actually subscribed for us to meet that goal.” Payne also described the benefits of the embedded player environment. CNN.com switches to free video next week.
12 Comments Add your own
1. tdc | June 26th, 2007 at 7:23 am
did i just read that aol is relaunching their news site on tuesday (next week) too?
cnn’s new beta site sure leaves alot to be desired. since lr posted a link i have been checking it only to find stories being updated a few times per WEEK.
if the idea of a beta site is to hit the ground running…
2. tdc | June 26th, 2007 at 7:41 am
in the words of emily litella- “never mind”.
cnn’s beta site was just taken down…to relaunch ‘this weekend’
3. Safran | June 26th, 2007 at 7:55 am
I think it’s great CNN tried this project. They took a big risk with it. I’m very pleased to see that they’re opening it up rather than abandoning it.
4. George Creedle | June 26th, 2007 at 10:32 am
I’ll use this post to plead with CNN (hopefully they’ll see it) to STOP STRETCHING 4×3 video to 16×9. Strange for a news organization to distort their video - literally.
5. Safran | June 26th, 2007 at 11:18 am
George: I’ll second that.
6. Thom | June 26th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Safran, I’m not sure I understand “opening it up rather than abandoning it.”
This product was concieved as subscription downloadable application. All of those elements have failed. They aren’t even keeping the name. They are abandoning it.
Pre 2001, CNN.com had multiple live streams on the site when there was interesting news (in multiple formats). Seven or so years later, they’re back to where they were.
We haven’t seen how the are going to present the new live streams in the site. But since the technology has advanced in the last seven years, it will undoubtedly be better than the old pop-up player.
There are definitely some parts of the old and new CNN.com that I really like. So I don’t mean to be all negative.
I just get a little frustrated when I see people picking up corporate spin like this. This product was a failure as it was implemented. It might have been cool to some user, but that doesn’t mean that it was ever an innovative product or had a chance to be sustainable on subs.
And we shouldn’t be afraid to say it was a failure since it seems to have gotten them to (or back to) some things better — free video integrated into the site.
But we also shouldn’t let them off too easy. Imagine what CNN.com would be like now if they hadn’t wasted all that time resources on Pipeline. I bet it would be kick ass and be far beyond all of its competitors!
7. Jake | June 26th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
This is another plea to CNN:
PLEASE!!! Stop with the weird proprietary player that handles SO poorly on macs and firefox. You want to create a video revolution and get more news to more people? Get out of the internet-explorer-microsoft-windows tunnel that is restricting your goals.
PS - real media, how are you doing these days?
8. Steve Safran | June 27th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Thom:
Nobody is more spin-sensitive than I. But I also don’t automatically slam something that doesn’t succeed. And I think Pipeline is a genuinely interesting product. I did not think it was going to succeed as a pay model, but I do think it is a good product and I always salute companies no matter how big or small for taking risks.
(Disclosure: I interviewed to be one of the original Pipeline producers.)
“Pipeline” did not succeed as a pay model. Absolutely not. But I do think it was innovative. And they tried something unique. Surely that’s worth celebrating in a universe of homogeneity and fear of trying anything different.
I don’t see much good in giving CNN a pasting for trying. Like you, there are parts to the site I like and parts I don’t. (I’ll never understand the obsession with stretching their video to 16:9.) And like Jake, the success/failure rate on my Mac is woeful. Still, LR always encourages people to take risks. We don’t then smack ‘em when the risks don’t work out.
9. Gilbert Velasquez | July 10th, 2007 at 8:19 pm
I enjoyed Pipeline as a payed subscriber and even though
it had many problems I also agree it was good of CNN to try this product. I think that something similar could also work as a free service. I still believe CNN to be the best
at delivering news on broadcast networks but the web is the best source to go to for immediacy and video is of utmost importance, second only to the proven quality news reports. Pipeline gave us more on demand choices and I miss it.
10. Bubba | July 16th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
THey ruined it. Free video was there before. Now there in no CNN International on nights or weekends - just a screen that says video will return 6am and when it does it’s reruns and junk. Fire Payne.
11. John G. | July 21st, 2007 at 10:40 am
Bad move…as a customer, it would have been nice to have been asked prior to CNN pulling the plug. This was a premium service, and should be kept. Now they are pushing one video stream, where before we had at least three plus the weather feed.
Mr. Payne, please bring my Pipeline back!!!
12. Anonymous | November 12th, 2007 at 7:17 am
go to hell
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