CNN Newsource
CNN Newsource is the syndication arm of CNN, providing local TV stations, radio stations, digital publishers, and newspapers with live news content, custom production services, and archive footage licensing across 1,100+ partner organizations in North America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersAtlanta, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CNN Newsource does
CNN Newsource is the syndication arm of CNN, providing local news organizations with live, breaking, and topical news content sourced from CNN's global newsgathering operation and a network of more than 1,000 contributing local news partners. The service, established in the 1980s to extend CNN's reach beyond the cable channel, now reaches 1,100+ partner organizations across North America — primarily local TV stations and radio stations — supplemented by digital publishers, newspapers, film/TV producers, advertising agencies, video game companies, Fortune 500 corporate buyers, and educational institutions. CNN Newsource is a private operating unit within Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., which became part of Warner Bros. Discovery following the 2022 merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc.
The core product is a 24-hour content syndication service distributed via eleven live digital satellite channels (seven U.S., four international), supplemented by Video-Over-IP options (TVU, LiveU) and a centralized portal with server-based ingest, RSS feeds, and one-click cross-platform publishing. The technology stack leans on a strategic Adobe Anywhere partnership that enables remote editing and collaboration across the affiliate network without incremental infrastructure investment. The portfolio is modular: CNN Wire delivers text, photos, and graphics; Custom Live Shots, Your D.C. Bureau, RunningMate (election coverage), and Money Matters (NASDAQ-dedicated financial correspondent) address specialized production needs; Transmission Services resells satellite and fiber capacity at bulk-purchased discount rates; and Archive Footage licensing monetizes more than 3 million assets and 700,000+ hours of footage, with documented placements in Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning films, Emmy-winning TV programs, and Fortune 500 corporate communications.
The business model is predominantly subscription-based recurring revenue from affiliate relationships, augmented by licensing royalties for archive and digital content, and professional service fees for custom live production and transmission. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales through regional newsgathering partners and dedicated account management, with a publicly listed service-inquiry lead form and named contact channels. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the dedicated Newsource operating unit is described at 51–100 employees in firmographic data, while the broader CNN/Turner parent counts 4,000+ employees worldwide and maintains 43 domestic and international bureaus and 36 editorial operations.
CNN Newsource firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CNN Newsource
- Legal name
- Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
- Website
- https://cnnnewsource.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- CNN Newsource is the syndication arm of CNN, providing local TV stations, radio stations, digital publishers, and newspapers with live news content, custom production services, and archive footage licensing across 1,100+ partner organizations in North America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CNN Newsource industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Broadcast News Syndication
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- News Agencies & Wire Services (General & Specialized) (MPAJADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Rolling News & Breaking News Channels (MPABAIAH), 24/7 National & International News Channels (MPABAIAA), News OTT & Live News Streaming Channels (MPABAHAK)
Keywords
Where CNN Newsource is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CNN Newsource business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Broadcast News Syndication: Subscription-based syndication of live, breaking and topical news content to local TV stations and radio stations. Provides 100,000+ news items annually, seven U.S. live channels, four international live channels, live custom and generic coverage, and news packages.
- Digital Content Licensing: Text, photos, and digital video syndication for local TV stations, radio stations, digital publishers, and newspapers. Includes curated breaking, topical, and viral video content.
- Archive Footage Licensing: Licensing of CNN's video archive containing more than 3 million assets and 700,000+ hours of footage to producers, films, TV programs, advertising campaigns, video games, and Fortune 500 companies.
- Custom Production Services: Custom live shots, original content production, transmission services, and D.C. bureau services for affiliates. Includes RunningMate for election coverage and Money Matters financial content.
- Transmissions Services: Satellite and fiber transmission services at discounted rates for affiliates, leveraging CNN's bulk purchasing power.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
CNN Newsource product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CNN Newsource is the syndicated newsgathering and distribution arm of CNN, providing local TV stations, radio stations, digital publishers, and other media organizations with live, breaking, and topical news content through 24-hour digital distribution and eleven live digital satellite channels. The service bundles live custom and generic coverage, news packages, custom production services (live shots, election coverage, financial coverage from NASDAQ), archive footage licensing from a 3-million-asset library, and discounted satellite/fiber transmission services.
Product overview
CNN Newsource operates as a syndicated newsgathering and distribution platform offering a unified portfolio of content services for local news organizations. The core offering (CNN Newsource) provides 24-hour digital distribution and eleven live digital satellite channels delivering live, breaking, and topical news. Supporting modules include CNN Wire for text and image content, CNN Newsource Digital for digital publishing solutions, and specialized election coverage through RunningMate and financial reporting via Money Matters. Production services include Custom Live Shots, Transmission Services, Your D.C. Bureau for political coverage, and Archive Footage with over 3 million assets. The Newsource in the Classroom program extends content for educational use.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CNN Wire: Text news wire service providing critical stories, images, photos and graphics across breaking and topical news.
- RunningMate
- Money Matters
- Custom Services
Products and services
- CNN Newsource (Core Syndication Service) Core syndicated newsgathering and distribution service delivering live, breaking, and topical news to local news organizations via 24-hour digital distribution and 11 live digital satellite channels. Serves more than 1,100 partners with 100,000+ news items annually.
- CNN Wire
Quantifiable outcome
- 100,000+ news items delivered annually to affiliates
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use CNN Newsource
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
CNN Newsource technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
CNN Newsource partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- AdobecoreStrategic partnership using Adobe Anywhere technology to revolutionize editing workflow. The technology enables remote editing and collaboration without new infrastructure investment, allowing CNN to provide any media to any journalist anywhere in the world.
- Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.coreParent company providing the operational framework for CNN Newsource services. The privacy policy is governed by Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., and the company operates within the Turner Network of affiliated digital services.
- AT&T, Inc. and Warner Media, LLCcoreAffiliated companies within the corporate structure. Data collection, usage and sharing practices are clarified among Turner, AT&T, Inc., and Warner Media, LLC, and their affiliates.
- 1,000+ Local News PartnerscoreNetwork of local TV stations, radio stations, newspapers, and digital publishers contributing to CNN's regional newsgathering. These partners extend CNN Newsource's reach and provide localized content that no other network matches.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CNN Newsource competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Shutterstock Editorial: Shutterstock Editorial licenses news and archival footage to production companies, ad agencies, and digital publishers, serving as a partial competitor in the archive footage licensing segment.
- Storyful: Storyful (owned by News Corp) is a social news and UGC verification agency that licenses curated digital content to newsrooms, competing for digital publisher accounts that CNN Newsource Digital also serves.
- SNTV (Perform / DAZN): SNTV delivers short-form sports and news video to broadcasters globally, competing for live shot and custom production revenue similarly to CNN Newsource's live signal offering.
Regional players
- PA Media (Press Association): PA Media is the UK's primary news agency distributing wire content, video, and syndicated packages to UK and Irish broadcasters, representing a regional peer with the same news agency business model.
Broad incumbents
- Bloomberg LP Media: Bloomberg operates a broader news and data syndication business and competes with CNN Newsource for financial content customers and live shot partnerships (Money Matters competes directly with Bloomberg's market coverage).
Direct peers
- Agence France-Presse (AFP): AFP is a global news agency offering text, photo, video, and archive licensing services to broadcasters, publishers, and digital outlets, directly competing with CNN Newsource in syndicated content distribution.
- Associated Press (AP): Associated Press is the largest direct competitor in news wire and content syndication, distributing text, video, photo, and audio content to broadcasters and digital publishers globally, exactly the model CNN Newsource competes against.
- Tribune Content Agency: Tribune Content Agency syndicates editorial, photo, and digital content to newspapers and digital publishers, overlapping with CNN Wire's text and image syndication business.
- Getty Images Editorial: Getty Images operates a major editorial footage and archival licensing business with comparable enterprise customers (broadcasters, ad agencies, production studios), competing with CNN's archive footage offering.
- Reuters News: Reuters operates a comparable news wire and video syndication business, supplying broadcast-ready news content, archive footage, and live signals to local stations and digital platforms worldwide.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CNN Newsource social profiles
Digital presenceCNN Newsource financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CNN Newsource leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
CNN Newsource funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CNN Newsource M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CNN Newsource
What does CNN Newsource do?
CNN Newsource is the syndicated newsgathering and distribution arm of CNN, providing local TV stations, radio stations, digital publishers, and other media organizations with live, breaking, and topical news content through 24-hour digital distribution and eleven live digital satellite channels. The service bundles live custom and generic coverage, news packages, custom production services (live shots, election coverage, financial coverage from NASDAQ), archive footage licensing from a 3-million-asset library, and discounted satellite/fiber transmission services.
Is CNN Newsource a public or private company?
CNN Newsource is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was CNN Newsource founded?
CNN Newsource was founded in 1980. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is CNN Newsource based?
CNN Newsource is headquartered in Atlanta, United States, in the North America region.
How does CNN Newsource make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Broadcast News Syndication is the primary driver. The others are digital Content Licensing, archive Footage Licensing, custom Production Services and transmissions Services.
Who are CNN Newsource's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Shutterstock Editorial, Storyful and SNTV (Perform / DAZN). PA Media (Press Association) is listed as a regional player. Bloomberg LP Media is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Agence France-Presse (AFP), Associated Press (AP), Tribune Content Agency, Getty Images Editorial and Reuters News.
Does CNN Newsource have an API?
No public API is recorded for CNN Newsource.
What industry is CNN Newsource in?
CNN Newsource's product category is Broadcast News Syndication. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAE, News Agencies & Wire Services (General & Specialized), with a secondary code of MPABAIAH, Rolling News & Breaking News Channels. Its NAICS code is 5162 and its SIC code is 7822.