CNN is launching a new business interview series, with a twist: The subjects will interview each other.
The cable news channel is launching what it is calling The 1 on 1 with CNN, in which business leaders sit down with each other for what it hopes will be illuminating conversations. The 1 on 1 will launch today on CNN’s subscription streaming platform, and will also be available on YouTube.
The first episode will feature world-famous chefs and entrepreneurs Eric Ripert and José Andrés in conversation; with the second episode featuring Pinterest CEO Bill Ready and Venmo co-founder Iqram Magdon-Ismail. Future episodes will feature Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, Sierra Cofounder and OpenAI Chairman Bret Taylor, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, and Accenture CEO Julie Sweet.
The show expands CNN’s presence in a couple of places: As a digital-first series, it bulks up the value proposition of its subscription product, and as a business-centric series, it seeks to build affinity and authority in a space where CNN has ceded some ground in recent years. CNN has always covered business, of course, but as it builds out subscription verticals, business has become a bigger strategic priority.
“The 1 on 1 lifts the curtain on the strategy, decision-making, and personalities of influential business leaders,” said Marie Beaudette, CNN’s VP of business and media. “These refreshingly direct conversations provide perspective on the many obstacles to success and illuminate how to overcome them.”
It’s also a format that CNN has some experience with: Last year the cable channel picked up some rights to the digital series Actors on Actors, which debuted on its platforms before becoming available on free services like YouTube. That show, like The 1 on 1, forgoes having journalists lead the conversations to have the subjects interview each other.
