WarnerMedia Shuts Down CNN’s Great Big Story Unit

Great Big Story, a video unit that worked with WarnerMedia’s CNN, announced that it was being shut down on Wednesday.

The five-year-old unit aimed to tell stories for younger viewers and create branded content for advertisers.

The unit was doomed by the COVID-19 recession and by restructuring activities by WarnerMedia, part of AT&T, which has been looking to reduce debt and focus on core business.

In a tweet, Great Big Story said “Challenging times call for difficult decisions, and it is with a heavy heart that we are announcing today that we will be closing the doors of Great Big Story.”

Great Big Stories won a Cannes Lion, three Emmys and had a fanbase on social media of more than 14 million followers.