Fan-Favorite CNN Anchor Signs New Deal To Stay, Shuts Down CBS Rumors

Anderson Cooper is staying put at CNN. If you heard the chatter about him bolting for another network, that noise just got quieted. The network is keeping one of its most recognizable faces, even as primetime ratings slump and viewers keep drifting to social media, podcasts, and anything that isn’t traditional TV.

So, is he leaving CNN?

Nope. Cooper recently signed a new contract with CNN, according to multiple folks speaking with Variety. CNN didn’t roll out any execs to comment, but it’s not exactly shocking they’d lock him down. He’s one of the few people left at the network who still feels essential to the brand.

• He anchors CNN’s New Year’s Eve coverage with Andy Cohen.
• He hosts the weekend deep-dive series "The Whole Story."
• He makes "All There Is," a podcast about grief, loss, and memory.
• He’s a go-to political hand, which matters with the 2026 midterms coming.

Why were people convinced he might jump?

Because the behind-the-scenes agency shuffle looked loud. In June, after years with UTA, Cooper moved to CAA, where he’s now repped by Bryan Lourd (yes, the same guy who reps Scarlett Johansson and George Clooney). People familiar with the conversations say Lourd kicked the tires on potential landings at other networks.

That lined up with a report from Puck claiming Bari Weiss, the new editor-in-chief of CBS News, had eyes on Cooper to front "CBS Evening News" after the exits of Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson. On paper, that wouldn’t have been a wild leap: Cooper already files pieces for "60 Minutes," and he’s popped up outside CNN plenty, guest-hosting ABC’s "Live With Kelly and Mark" and even filling in on "Jeopardy!"

The ratings elephant in the room

There’s also been chatter that Cooper wasn’t thrilled with the state of things at CNN. The National Enquirer said he was frustrated with falling viewership and irritated by internal decisions. The numbers aren’t pretty: in the third quarter, CNN’s primetime audience dropped 42% overall, and the key 25–54 demo fell 58%, per recent Nielsen data.

What CNN is trying to fix

CEO Mark Thompson is steering CNN harder into digital and streaming to mesh with the linear channel. In late October 2025, CNN rolled out an All Access subscription for $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year ($41.99 for the first year) that bundles exclusive video, live coverage, a film library, and unlimited articles. It’s very much a ‘meet the audience where they are’ play.

Money, optics, and why this is interesting

If Warner Bros. Discovery were hunting for savings, Cooper’s reported $18 million yearly salary would be an obvious target. For context, that’s said to be around five times what other primetime hosts pull in with similar ratings. But Variety reports CNN decided Cooper is simply too synonymous with the network to let go. They re-upped him for an undisclosed term, which also neatly blocks any competing deals he might have entertained elsewhere.

Bottom line: the agency switch and the CBS whispers made for a compelling will-he/won’t-he, but CNN chose the known quantity. With the 2026 midterms ahead — and the annual New Year’s Eve circus with Andy Cohen — expect Cooper to remain front and center on the channel that’s been his home since 2001.