In the next five years, CNN plans to generate $1 billion in online revenue, reports the Wall Street Journal. Part of its plan includes digital subscriptions for live events and exclusive content on specific topics such as features on CNN Money and CNN Politics. Using a tiered model, Time Warner-owned CNN will still offer some content for free, but it is trying to leverage exclusive content to compete with other media organizations and publishers. Variety reports that CNN will be experimenting with several business models.

The Wall Street Journal said pricing has not been disclosed yet. Set to launch as early as the second quarter of 2018, the forthcoming premium subscription service is part of CNN’s five-year plan to diversify its revenue streams and generate $1 billion in annual revenue by 2022.

‘We have to find more subscription products,’ said CNN president Jeff Zucker in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. ‘We have to experiment with e-commerce. And I think we have to find ways to monetize mobile traffic.’

This is just one of CNN’s forays into new content and revenue-generating opportunities. On Thursday, CNN launched ‘CNN Underscored,’ an online shopping guide that features what it deems to be the best in style, tech, health and travel. This product is an extension of the CNN Digital domain, and similar to reviews on The New York Times Company-owned Wirecutter, featured products are vetted by CNN writers and CNN received affiliate revenue. Like Wirecutter, CNN said in a press release it wants transparency, so it is clear what is editorial content versus what CNN is reporting as news.

‘CNN Digital’s editorial and business teams have worked hard to make sure the lines between CNN Underscored’s content and CNN journalism are very clear. The pages looks different. The logo is different. There is a disclaimer at the top. Visually it is extremely transparent, and that’s very important to us. We are upfront with our audience about what is news and what is shopping content -on every page,’ said CNN in a press release.

Along with ‘CNN Underscored,’ CNN is relaunching its online ‘CNN Store,’ so fans can buy their favorite branded CNN merchandise, along with non-branded education and technology products.

According to CNN, their digital efforts are paying off. In an October 31 post, CNN said September 2017 was its highest month for mobile traffic to date, it is the #1 in digital news video for more than two years, and it is ranked #1 in politics for the last 31 months. The company boasted that it had 125 million unique multiplatform visitors in September, compared to 99 million on The New York Times, 97 million Yahoo News, and 95 million on WashingtonPost.com.

Insider Take:

Like other major media organizations, CNN has been forced to find new revenue streams, no longer able to rely solely on digital advertising revenue as it competes with tech giant like Facebook and Google. CNN is adapting to meet the changing needs of its audience, which includes newer products like Great Big Story and CNN Underscored, to name a few. Following the lead of The New York Times Company who is having success with the Wirecutter, acquired this time last year, CNN Underscored has the potential to bring in affiliate revenue, provided they do it right. Are these changes just in time, or ‘too little, too late’ for CNN? Time will tell.