As of the most recent data available in 2025, CNN's net worth has been reported at approximately $2.3 billion. This figure comes from financial metrics disclosed during a defamation trial in January 2025, showing a significant decline from $4.4 billion in 2021—a drop of about 47.7% over two years. This valuation reflects CNN's worth as a standalone entity under its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), which itself has a market capitalization of around $24 billion as of early 2025, though that encompasses all WBD assets, not just CNN.
The $2.3 billion figure is based on internal company financials, including U.S. Corporate Income Tax returns from 2021 to 2023, analyzed by forensic economist Robert W. Johnson during the trial. However, some older estimates, like those from 2014 by former Time Warner executives, suggested CNN could be worth between $8 billion and $12 billion, factoring in its global reach via CNN International and digital operations. More optimistic projections, such as from Net Worth Spot in late 2024, pegged CNN’s net worth at around $10 billion, driven by its broadcasting infrastructure, brand value, and digital revenue streams like YouTube (estimated at up to $32.3 million alone). These higher estimates, though, don’t align with the trial’s recent, grounded data showing a downward trend.
CNN’s revenue supports the lower valuation: it fell from $2.2 billion in 2021 to $1.8 billion in 2023, averaging about $4.9 million daily in 2023. This decline, alongside a $9.1 billion write-down of WBD’s traditional TV assets (including CNN) in 2024, suggests the $2.3 billion figure is the most current and reliable snapshot of CNN’s worth today, reflecting challenges like falling viewership and market shifts. Still, its value could fluctuate with strategic changes or market conditions under WBD’s broader umbrella.