CNN Has Prime-Time Anchors Locked In Ahead of Paramount Deal

Executives at Paramount Skydance have agreed to pay billions to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, but they may have to do a little more work if they want to put their own stamp on the programming at CNN.

CNN recently struck a new deal with Abby Phillip, anchor of the raucous 10 p.m. roundtable “NewsNight” that keeps al three of the anchors who host its primetime shows at the news giant for the foreseeable future, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Anderson Cooper, who anchors the 8 p.m. slot on CNN, renewed terms last year and it’s widely understood that Kaitlan Collins, who leads the “The Source” at 9 p.m. is working under a contract that has a few more years on left on it. Phillip is the last of the troika to renew alliances with the Warner Bros. Discovery news outlet.

A CNN spokesperson said the network does not comment on contracts with talent.

CNN was likely dealing with each anchor’s renewal as individual contracts opened, rather than deliberately planning a move to slow down a new owner’s plans.

Nonetheless, having contracts in place could mean that Paramount will have to do some additional maneuvering if it wants to rework CNN’s programming lineup or rearrange the anchors who fill it. To be sure, a network can easily move an anchor if it wants — CNN forced Don Lemon to move out of his late-night roost on the schedule in 2022 to an ill-conceived morning-show concept after Warner was put under the control of CEO David Zaslav — but the new contracts mean that the anchors have some guarantees about the money they are owed in case changes are made.

CNN staffers have been on edge as the Paramount deal moved closer to consummation. There is palpable concern that Paramount CEO David Ellison will assign oversight of CNN to Bari Weiss, a digital entrepreneur and opinion writer installed last year as editor in chief of CBS News. Her tenure at the news division has generated significant scrutiny and controversy, and has included the ouster of top producers and correspondents at the long-running newsmagazine “60 Minutes,” viewed for years as one of the jewels of the CBS lineup. There are growing fears within CNN that the Paramount acquisition would spur programming and talent changes that could be seen as being made to placate the Trump administration, rather than holding it to account. Inside CNN, there is a strong concern that Paramount’s executives “don’t know or don’t care” about managing the news giant for profit or for the future, according to one staffer. 

All three anchors have taken on responsibilities beyond their evening-host duties. Cooper hosts the Sunday deep-dive program “The Whole Story” as well as “All There Is,” a podcast that examines grief. Collins anchors a primetime show while also working as the network’s chief White House correspondent. Phillip also hosts a Saturday-morning program, “Table for Five,” which, like “NewsNight,” is presented in a roundtable format. Phillip recently took up digital duties, hosting the new program “Confessions and Obsessions,” which focuses more on guests’ personal interests than their political leanings.

Signing Phillip to a new contract also means that CNN will likely rely heavily on the trio as the midterm elections approach. Elections can bring an injection of new viewership to news networks, as the drama around the race for federal office often lures people beyond CNN’s immediate crowd. CNN’s ad revenue is projected to increase about 4% to $510.4 million in 2026, according to Kagan, a market-research unit of S&P Global Intelligence, compared with $489.8 million in 2025.