Apple News loses a longstanding media partner | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

A lot is happening within the distinct worlds of Apple and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), but the two companies intersect at one key platform: Apple News.

However, on Sunday, Nov. 23, WBD’s flagship journalism brand CNN quietly pulled its content off the news aggregator, Semafor reported. CNN ended its distribution deal as both sides negotiate new terms.

Neither company has commented publicly on the deal.

What this means for consumers is that until an official deal is in effect, Apple News users will no longer be able to see CNN stories in their curated feeds, notable for Apple as it positions itself as: “A world of journalism. One trusted subscription.”

CNN has been a prominent outlet for Apple News since its launch in 2015. More recently, it has included curated news stories from The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

The news had no impact on the company’s stock; it was trading up 1.6% on Nov. 24, marking a 10% year-to-date stock gain.

News of a stepdown emerges as Tim Cook turns 65.

Image source&colon; Shutterstock

What is Apple News?

In 2015, Apple released its news aggregator service Apple News, which scrapes stories from the internet for its iOS users.

In 2019, it launched Apple News+, a subscription-based service that allows users to access top stories from more than 500 leading publications under a single subscription, priced at $12.99 per month.

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It instantly became a success, and according to a 2020 report from Apple (it has not released official data since), it had 125 million combined monthly active free and paid subscribers.

The subscription has also proved to be a lifeline for many publications, especially digital publishers who rely on views to drive revenue. According to a Semafor report, Apple News is one of Time’s most important partners, helping it generate seven figures of revenue annually. It has been similar for publications such as Conde Nast, Vanity Fair, and Dotdash Meredith.

Tim Cook and iPhone Pocket

Apple has been in the news this month for entirely different reasons as well.

All the traction to adapt to the new advancements and emerge as a crowd favourite comes amidst a pivotal movement for the company.

According to a Financial Times report, Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to potentially step down, with John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, as the most likely successor.

Additionally, on Nov. 11, Apple unveiled iPhone Pocket, a wearable concept inspired by the idea of “a piece of cloth,” in collaboration with the renowned Japanese designer house Issey Miyake.

Available in select stores, this special-edition release is priced at $149.95 for the short strap design and $229.95 for the long-strap design. While the launch has already created buzz over its price, Apple sees it as an extension of the iPhone.