CNN is launching a subscription tier, the era of free stuff on the internet is officially over

CNN is getting into the subscription game.

The news network will launch a paid tier in 2018, marking a significant step for the company's online efforts. All of CNN's online content has, up to this point, been offered for free alongside ads.

CNN joins a growing group of media outlets that have embraced subscriptions in recent years, moving away from the ad-based model that has been regarded with growing skepticism.

Like most online offerings, CNN won't be going entirely behind a paywall. Instead, the company is working on developing new content, including personality-driven efforts at CNN Money and CNN Politics, in hopes that people will be willing to pony up some dough, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

The WSJ notes that there's no decision as of yet on pricing, but that the subscription effort is meant to help meet a goal of $1 billion in online revenue by 2022.

The news comes a day after CNN announced the launch of "CNN Underscored," the outlet's online shopping guide, which will generate revenue through affiliate links — in which publications get a cut of revenue from sales that originate from their websites.

These efforts comes as little surprise considering the challenges CNN, and every TV channel, faces as the cable industry grapples with the reality that people are spending less time in front of their televisions and more time with their smartphones.