The Associated Press

Name

The Associated Press

Legal name

The Associated Press

Website

https://ap.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1846

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

News Wire Services

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

News Agencies & Wire Services (General & Specialized) (MPAJADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF), Syndication, Licensing & Content Partnerships (Columns, Features, Photos) (MPAJADAI), Data Journalism & News Intelligence Publishers (Indexes, Election/Market Data) (MPAJADAK), National & General-Interest Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAA)

Keywords

• News wire services
• Content licensing
• Photojournalism distribution
• Video news agency
• Data journalism feeds

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Content Licensing: AP licenses multimedia content including video, photos, text, audio, and data to media organizations, broadcasters, brands, and technology companies through subscription and usage-based arrangements
2. Programmatic Advertising: AP generates advertising revenue through Freestar partnership, integrating AP content into broader advertising ecosystems including The Trade Desk's News Navigator program
3. AI Content Licensing: AP licenses content to AI companies including Microsoft Publisher Content Marketplace and OpenAI for training AI models and powering chatbots, creating new revenue streams from technology sector
4. Data Services: AP provides economic indicators, financial data, and machine-readable news to financial institutions and trading firms with ultra-low-latency delivery from Washington
5. Elections Data: AP licenses U.S. election results data to technology companies including OpenAI and Kalshi predictions market
6. Platform Subscriptions: AP offers subscriptions to platforms including AP Newsroom, AP Stylebook Online, AP ENPS newsroom system, and AP Planner for editorial planning
7. Production Services: AP Productions division creates original short films, documentaries, miniseries, podcasts, and books; AP 360 provides full production and editorial solutions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Associated Press is a global news cooperative founded in 1846 that produces and licenses multi-format news content—text, video, photographs, audio, graphics, and structured data—to media organizations, governments, brands, and AI/tech companies. It distributes content through the AP Newsroom platform, the Media API for machine-readable news, AP Verify content authentication, AP Stylebook Online, AP Planner and AP Daybooks editorial tools, AP StoryShare syndication, and the consumer-facing AP News site.

Product overview

The Associated Press operates as a multi-format news agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of content products and platforms. The core offerings include Video (6,000 videos/month, live coverage, 2M+ archive clips), Photos (60M+ images, editorial and stock), Text/Newswires (1,260 stories/day), Audio (newscasts, updates, archive), Data (machine-readable news, economic indicators, elections data), and Graphics (interactive visualizations, 3D animations, real-time maps). These are distributed through multiple platforms: AP Newsroom (AI-powered content delivery platform), AP Stylebook (writing/editing reference), AP StoryShare (distribution), AP Planner (editorial planning), and AP Daybooks (scheduling). Supporting services include AP 360 (broadcast production), AP Productions (documentaries/films), AP Elections (vote tracking), AP Intelligence (enterprise data/AI), and AP Verify (content verification). AP also offers the Media API for developer access and AP News (consumer website). The architecture is a unified content platform with specialized modules addressing different distribution channels, formats, and customer segments including media organizations, governments, enterprises, and AI/tech companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AP News: AP's digital news platform and website for fact-based, nonpartisan journalism
• AP Verify
• AP Newsroom
• AP Stylebook
• AP 360
• AP Productions
• AP VoteCast
• AP-NORC
• SNTV

Products and services

• AP Newswires (Text) Real-time text news reports, breaking news, and feature stories licensed to news organizations, digital publishers, and other customers worldwide.
• AP Video Broadcast-quality video news content for television stations, digital publishers, and online platforms, covering breaking news, sports, and feature stories.
• AP Photos Editorial photography from AP's global network of photojournalists, licensed for editorial use by news organizations, publishers, and commercial customers.
• AP Audio Audio news content including actualities, soundbites, and ready-to-air reports for radio stations, podcasts, and digital audio platforms.
• AP Graphics Ready-to-publish editorial graphics, charts, and visual assets for news organizations to illustrate news, sports, and feature stories.
• AP Data / AP Elections Structured data feeds covering elections, sports results, and other data-driven news; AP's election results feed serves as the industry standard used by news organizations across the United States.
• AP Archive Licensed access to AP's historical archive of text, photo, video, and audio content for use in documentaries, books, exhibits, and commercial productions.
• AP Productions Custom video content and branded entertainment produced by AP for brands, agencies, and broadcasters.
• AP 360 Custom news monitoring, intelligence briefings, and curated coverage for corporate, government, and institutional clients.
• AP Intelligence Enterprise intelligence product delivering structured news-derived insights, risk signals, and analytics to corporate and institutional customers.
• SNTV Sports video news service operated as a partnership between AP and Sports News, providing global sports video coverage to broadcasters and digital platforms.
• AP Media API API-based delivery of AP's news content in machine-readable formats for AI labs, search platforms, and technology companies needing licensed, factual news data.
• AP Verify Content authentication technology that verifies the provenance and integrity of AP's photo, video, and text content, addressing misinformation and supporting licensed partners.
• AP Stylebook Online Online subscription reference platform providing AP's editorial style guidance and standards for journalists, editors, and communications professionals.
• AP Newsroom Online platform enabling AP customers to search, preview, and download AP's text, photo, video, audio, and graphics content for licensing and publishing.
• AP Planner Editorial planning tool that helps newsrooms schedule, track, and coordinate AP story assignments and coverage.
• AP Daybooks Editorial calendar and planning service that provides forward-looking news schedules, event listings, and planning context to newsrooms.
• AP StoryShare Platform enabling AP customer newsrooms to share their own locally produced content with other AP member organizations across the cooperative.
• AP News Consumer-facing news website (apnews.com) and mobile applications delivering AP's reporting directly to general audiences, supported by advertising.

Quantifiable outcome

• AP produces 1,260 stories per day across all formats and topics
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OpenAIcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 May 2026AP announced it will provide its U.S. election results to OpenAI, reinforcing AP's vote count as the undisputed standard of information about U.S. elections for media organizations and technology platforms worldwide. As part of the agreement, AP provides OpenAI with vote count results data for national, state, and local races for ChatGPT integration.
• IBCminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2026AP selected for IBC's 2026 Accelerator Media Innovation Programme involving major broadcasters and streaming platforms including NBCUniversal, DAZN, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, and Al Jazeera working on initiatives including AI-driven archive tools and digital twins.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or Integration · 3 February 2026Microsoft launched the Publisher Content Marketplace (PCM), a platform enabling publishers to license premium content to AI products with usage-based payments. AP is a launch partner alongside Condé Nast, Hearst, People, USA Today, Vox Media, and Yahoo. The platform addresses copyright concerns and creates new revenue streams from AI licensing.
• RedditminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2025AP participated in alpha testing of Reddit Pro tools for publishers, a suite of features including article insights, auto import articles, and AI-powered community recommendations to help publishers track and share content across Reddit's platform.
• AmazonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmazon launched a podcast-creation feature within Alexa+ for US Prime subscribers, partnering with major news organizations including AP, Reuters, Washington Post, TIME, Forbes, Business Insider, Politico, USA Today, and Vox to source content for AI-generated audio podcasts.
• MIT Graduate Program in Science WritingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAP climate desk collaborated with MIT Graduate Program in Science Writing, bringing six AP reporters together with graduate students for a four-day intensive workshop to develop and produce local climate stories.
• IBCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIBC selected projects for 2026 Accelerator Media Innovation Programme with AP working alongside NBCUniversal, DAZN, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, and Al Jazeera on 5G broadcast reliability, AI-driven archive tools, and quantum-secure media transmission.
• SNTV (Sports Video Partnership with IMG)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSNTV is a partnership between AP and IMG providing unique blend of quality sports action and global sports video news. SNTV has relationships with over 200 sporting federations covering over 40 sports, creating over 76 unique videos per day and over 30,000 stories per year.
• Howard Hughes Medical InstituteminorOthersAP's Health and Science team receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education for journalism coverage.
• Robert Wood Johnson FoundationminorOthersAP's Health and Science team receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for journalism coverage.
• Sony Global Social Justice FundminorOthersSony's Global Social Justice Fund supported AP's Inclusive Journalism Initiative in 2025, which aimed to deepen inclusive storytelling and expand collaborations with diverse local newsrooms.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Reuters: Reuters is AP's most direct global wire-service competitor, offering text, video, photo, and data news to media organizations, financial institutions, and AI/tech platforms (including OpenAI partnerships). Operates at similar global scale with comparable multi-format offerings.
• Agence France-Presse (AFP): AFP is a Paris-based global news agency cooperative offering wire, photo, video, and fact-checking services. Co-recipient of the Golden Pen of Freedom with AP for Gaza coverage and a direct competitor in the global news agency market.

Broad incumbents

• Bloomberg: Bloomberg is a broader incumbent in financial data, machine-readable news, and media — overlapping with AP's enterprise data, economic indicators, and financial trading customer segments. While not a general news wire, it competes directly for low-latency data revenue.
• Getty Images: Getty is a major incumbent in editorial and stock photo/video licensing, with a similar enterprise sales motion into media, brands, and tech platforms. Overlaps with AP Photos on licensing, archive, and AI training data monetization.
• Shutterstock: Shutterstock competes with AP in editorial/stock imagery, video licensing, and AI training data deals (it has signed generative AI partnerships). A broader visual content incumbent targeting overlapping brand and enterprise customers.
• The New York Times: The New York Times Company operates a major newsroom, subscription platform, and is pursuing AI licensing (sued OpenAI/MSFT, then settled and licensed content). A broader incumbent in news publishing with overlapping AI licensing strategy.
• Gannett / USA Today: Gannett is the largest U.S. newspaper chain and a Microsoft Publisher Content Marketplace launch partner alongside AP. Competes with AP for AI training data licensing revenue and historically as a customer of AP's wire services.

Regional players

• Press Association (PA Media): PA Media is the UK national news agency offering wire, data, and content licensing — a direct functional peer to AP but operating primarily in UK/Ireland. Comparable in cooperative structure and in serving media customers with text and data feeds.
• Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa): dpa is Germany's national news agency, offering wire, photo, video, and AI/data services across German-speaking Europe. Direct functional peer to AP's wire and data business but primarily serving a different geography.

Emerging players

• Edison Research: Edison Research is the long-standing election and consumer research provider that competes with AP VoteCast on U.S. election exit poll and electorate data. Emerging peer in the data/election intelligence segment where AP is expanding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AP
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AP
• Facebookfacebook.com/APNews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/associated-press
• Instagraminstagram.com/apnews
• TikToktiktok.com/@apnews

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments14 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Associated Press