NEWSCNN's Future in Jeopardy: Anderson Cooper's $18 Million Salary Under Scrutiny Amid Network's Ratings Crisis
Anderson Cooper’s $18 million salary is coming under fire as CNN's ratings remain low.
July 4 2025, Published 1:00 p.m. ET
CNN faces potential upheaval, as recent reports suggest that anchor Anderson Cooper's substantial annual salary of $18 million may come under fire as the media giant navigates a tumultuous period marked by plummeting ratings and looming corporate restructuring. The network, long known as a beacon of news broadcasting, is grappling with the implications of a prospective spinoff from its financially struggling parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.
Anderson Cooper is a veteran CNN anchor.
According to the Puck newsletter, Cooper, who has been a central figure at CNN since joining the network in 2001, may find his lucrative contract in jeopardy as the new regime takes shape.
Warner Bros. Discovery Chief Financial Officer Gunnar Wiedenfels has been appointed to lead CNN amid a broader strategic overhaul.
Wiedenfels, known for his aggressive cost-cutting approach, is expected to analyze the current portfolio and make decisive cuts where necessary.
Dylan Byers, a prominent media writer for Puck, highlighted Cooper's salary as a point of contention, questioning the rationale behind compensating the veteran journalist when newer faces like Kaitlan Collins draw comparable viewer numbers at a fraction of the cost.
"Why, for instance, would Gunnar pay Anderson Cooper $18 million a year when Kaitlan Collins draws the same ratings at roughly a fifth of the salary?" Byers said in a piece that has since sparked discussions across media platforms.
Gunnar Wiedenfels is the CFO of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Recent Nielsen ratings indicate that Anderson Cooper 360 attracted only 647,000 viewers on a Tuesday evening — a stark contrast to Collins' show, which drew 829,000 in the subsequent hour. With this disparity, observers speculate that Cooper's position may become increasingly tenuous if Wiedenfels opts for a more fiscally responsible approach.
Despite the scrutiny surrounding his salary, Cooper's exact earnings have not been officially confirmed. Previous reports suggested the figure could be as high as $20 million. Nonetheless, a CNN spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics of Cooper's pay, leaving room for speculation regarding the anchor's future.
Concerns are mounting among CNN staffers regarding Wiedenfels's management style, with one source stating, "Gunnar news is not good. He is slash and burn."
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Kaitlan Collins is a CNN anchor known for her sharp political reporting and interviews.
Amid these changes, Cooper reportedly remains noncommittal about his future at CNN. As Byers aptly pointed out, "By the time Gunnar gets around to it, Anderson will likely have determined that he no longer wants to read the day’s news to less than a million people every night, either."
This sentiment resonates with many, particularly as the network's audience has dwindled significantly in recent years.
Historically, CNN has struggled to maintain its position as a media leader amid fierce competition from networks like Fox News, which has often quadrupled CNN's audience during breaking news events. With younger audiences increasingly turning to social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube for news content, CNN's business model appears increasingly untenable.
The network's current predicament became particularly apparent last fall, when CNN denied raises to veteran anchors like Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer as staff members anticipated layoffs. Such moves signal a drastic shift in policy for a network that once prided itself on holding a premium place in the realm of cable news.
Anderson Cooper reportedly earns around $18 million per year at CNN.
With Warner Bros. Discovery's recent decision to split the company into two entities, the pressure is mounting for existing networks to re-evaluate their operations. This split, a move intended to streamline operations amid a staggering $37 billion debt load, has exacerbated existing concerns regarding CNN's viability.
As it stands, Cooper stands at a crossroads in his storied career, with the potential for a seismic shift in the landscape of cable news. The prevailing question remains: will Cooper’s $18 million salary survive the anticipated restructuring, or will it be among the casualties of a company in crisis?
The future of CNN, and its high-profile anchors, hangs in a precarious balance as the media industry braces for changes ahead.
