CNN+ will debut the documentary series The Murdochs: Empire of Influence, about the global empire spearheaded by media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, in spring 2022.
The CNN original series, produced with The New York Times and Left/Right, will premiere exclusively on CNN’s streaming subscription service as it gets set to launch this spring. The docs are based on the New York Times magazine article “How Rupert Murdoch’s Empire of Influence Remade the World” and will explore the impact of Murdoch and the family dynasty he built.
The six-part series will feature exclusive reporting, interviews with former Murdoch company employees and archival footage. “Nothing captivates quite like family drama when an empire is at stake,” Amy Entelis, executive vp for talent and content development at CNN Worldwide, said in a statement on Thursday.
“Through powerful storytelling and impeccable journalism, this series gives CNN+ subscribers a glimpse into the dynamics of one of the richest and most powerful families in the world and how they have wielded their influence,” she added.
Rupert Murdoch, who grew his global media empire from an initial focus on Australian and British tabloid newspapers with News Corp., has over the years handed key businesses and TV networks to his children and in a landmark 2017 deal he unloaded the bulk of his assets to The Walt Disney Co.
The doc series is executive produced by Ken Druckerman, Banks Tarver, Erica Sashin, Sam Dolnick, Kathleen Lingo, Entelis and Lyle Gamm. Journalists Jonathan Mahler and Jim Rutenberg of The New York Times serve as consulting producers.
