### Warner Bros. Discovery and Comcast Ditch Cable Networks as Cord-Cutting Accelerates
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) CEO David Zaslav is making a bold move to separate the company’s declining cable TV networks—including CNN, TNT, and the Food Network—from its more lucrative streaming and studio divisions. This follows a similar strategy by Comcast, which recently spun off most of its cable channels into a new entity called Versant. Both companies insist the split will allow these networks to “grow and thrive,” but the reality is clear: traditional cable TV is a shrinking business. With cord-cutting accelerating and audiences aging, media giants no longer see these networks as core assets.
### The Unspoken Truth: Cable TV Is a Dying Business
While WBD and Comcast publicly frame the spin-offs as strategic growth opportunities, the underlying motive is undeniable. Cable networks still generate profits, but their subscriber bases are eroding rapidly. WBD’s newly formed “global networks” division will house struggling brands like CNN, which faces intense competition in the digital news space. Meanwhile, the remaining Warner Bros. Discovery entity will focus on streaming (Max) and its film and TV studios—areas with more long-term potential. Investors seem cautiously optimistic (WBD’s stock rose after the announcement), but Comcast’s similar move last year led to a 20% stock decline, signaling skepticism about the future of cable bundles.
### What’s Next for CNN and the Cable Spin-Offs?
The split raises key questions: How will WBD’s massive $35 billion debt be divided? Could Comcast and WBD eventually merge their cable divisions? And what happens to CNN, a once-dominant news network now struggling to adapt? While private equity firms might see value in these still-profitable but declining assets, the message from media executives is clear—they’d rather invest in streaming and content production than manage a dying cable business. As Zaslav himself put it, these networks are “real businesses,” but the urgency to offload them speaks louder than any corporate spin. For potential buyers, the warning is clear: proceed with caution.
Ez a cikk a Neural News AI (V1) verziójával készült.
Forrás: https://www.businessinsider.com/warner-bros-discovery-cable-tv-sale-cnn-why-explained-2025-6.