What Haystack News does

Haystack News (operated as Haystack TV Inc.) is an ad-supported streaming news platform that aggregates content from over 400 local, national, and international news providers into a unified personalized video viewing experience for individual news consumers. Headquartered in San Francisco with additional hiring presence in Fort Lauderdale, the company was founded in 2015 by co-founders Daniel Barreto (CEO) and Ish Harshawat and positions itself as an independently owned alternative to traditional cable news. The platform is led by an 11–50-person team and has raised approximately $4.5M across three funding rounds between 2015 and 2018 from investors including AltaIR Capital, StartX (Stanford-StartX Fund), SV Links, Vestel Ventures, DeltaG Ventures, Inspovation Ventures, SGH CAPITAL, and Sparkland Capital.

The core product is the Haystack News app, available natively on 20+ device platforms including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV/Google TV, Samsung, LG, VIZIO, Hisense, Sony, Toshiba, Vestel, and Finlux smart TVs, plus iOS and Android mobile devices and a browser-based experience at haystack.tv. The platform's central feature, 'My Headlines,' uses machine-learning-based recommender systems to build customized playlists from 400+ content sources based on user favorited sources, muted topics, followed locations, and viewing history. A proprietary interactive ticker called 'Newsline' overlays breaking news, live coverage updates, polls, weather forecasts, and stock market data on top of video playback. Content partnerships include Bloomberg Media and major US broadcasters (ABC, CBS, CNN), and the platform supports sign-in via Google, Facebook, and Apple OAuth.

Haystack News operates a freemium business model: the free tier delivers all news content with advertising across every supported platform, while Haystack Premium at $4.99/month or $49.99/year removes ads, enables unlimited skips, and unlocks enhanced personalization, with a 1-month free trial available. Distribution is exclusively self-serve through app stores and OEM partnerships — there is no direct sales team. Customer acquisition is driven by app store optimization, organic social media presence (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn), earned media coverage (TechCrunch, The Hollywood Reporter, Consumer Reports, Techhive, AdExchanger), and a December 2025-launched affiliate program that pays $10 per new Premium subscriber referred. Notable distribution milestones include a dedicated Haystack News button on Roku remote controls launched in November 2025 in the US and Canada, and recognition as 'Best Free Streaming News App' by Techhive.

Name

Haystack News

Legal name

Haystack TV Inc.

Website

https://haystack.tv

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Haystack News is an ad-supported streaming news platform that aggregates content from 400+ local, national, and international news sources, delivering personalized video news streams to consumers across 20+ smart TV, streaming device, and mobile platforms via a freemium subscription model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

News Streaming

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162), Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290)

akta.pro primary industry

News Streaming Platforms (MPACAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

News OTT & Live News Streaming Channels (MPABAHAK), News & Current Affairs Aggregators (MPACAKAA), News & Content Aggregation Portals (BPAMAAAI)

Keywords

• News streaming platform
• Personalized video news
• Ad-supported streaming
• News aggregation service
• Local news content

Headquarters

HQ city

Redwood City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising (Free Tier): The free version of Haystack News is supported by advertisements. Users can watch all news content with ads displayed during viewing.
2. Premium Subscription: Monthly or annual subscription offering ad-free streaming, unlimited skips, and personalized news recommendations. Priced at $4.99/month or $49.99/year with 1-month free trial available.
3. Affiliate Referrals: Affiliate program paying $10 per new Premium subscriber referred, targeting creators, publishers, and media organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Haystack News operates an ad-supported streaming news platform that aggregates video content from over 400 local, national, and international news publishers into a personalized viewing experience. Users can stream free news across smart TVs, streaming devices, and mobile, with an optional Premium subscription providing ad-free viewing and unlimited skips.

Product overview

Haystack News operates as a unified free news streaming platform built around its core Haystack News app, which aggregates over 400 local, national, and international news channels into a personalized viewing experience. The core product delivers customized content through 'My Headlines' and topical channels. It is complemented by Haystack Premium, a subscription add-on that removes ads and adds unlimited skips. The proprietary Newsline feature provides an interactive ticker with breaking news, polls, weather, and stock updates integrated directly into the viewing experience. An affiliate program enables creators and publishers to earn commissions by referring new Premium subscribers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Haystack News (Core App) Free ad-supported streaming app aggregating 400+ local, national, and international news channels with personalized 'My Headlines', live broadcasts, and topical channels including Politics, Business, Entertainment, SciTech, and Sports. Available on smart TVs, streaming devices, mobile, and web.
• Haystack Premium Subscription tier offering ad-free streaming, unlimited skips, and personalized news recommendations. Priced at $4.99/month or $49.99/year with a 1-month free trial.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24 million viewers use the platform

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bloomberg MediacoreTechnology or IntegrationBloomberg provides live news feeds and original content to the Haystack News platform. M. Scott Havens, Chief Growth Officer and Global Head of Strategic Partnerships at Bloomberg Media, stated: 'Bloomberg is very pleased to deepen our relationship with Haystack News. New platforms such as Haystack News extend our reach, and bring our trusted content to new audiences.'

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pluto TV: Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service operated by Paramount, offering linear channels including news alongside entertainment. Closely comparable to Haystack's AVOD streaming model and CTV-first distribution.
• Tubi: Fox-owned free ad-supported streaming service with a broad content library including news categories. Direct competitor to Haystack in the AVOD streaming space across CTV and mobile.
• The Roku Channel: Roku's owned-and-operated free streaming service, shipping pre-installed on Roku devices. The most direct competitor since Roku is also Haystack's largest distribution partner.
• NewsON: Free streaming app aggregating local TV news from stations across the U.S. Highly comparable to Haystack's local news aggregation thesis and free, ad-supported distribution model.
• Local Now: Free streaming service focused on hyperlocal news, weather, and traffic, available across CTV and mobile. Closely comparable to Haystack's geographically-personalized news aggregation approach.
• Newsy: Streaming news network offering linear and on-demand video news across CTV and mobile. Direct competitor in the streaming news category.
• Xumo: Free ad-supported streaming service with 300+ channels including news, distributed across CTV and mobile. Direct competitor in the FAST aggregation space.
• Samsung TV Plus: Samsung's free, ad-supported streaming service pre-installed on Samsung smart TVs. Competes with Haystack in the same CTV news/FAST category, particularly on the largest smart-TV installed base.
• Stirr: Sinclair Broadcast Group's free ad-supported streaming service combining local news and entertainment. Comparable in AVOD model and local-news aggregation focus.
• Plex: Free ad-supported streaming service with hundreds of channels including news, available across CTV and mobile. Direct competitor in the FAST aggregation category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/haystacktv
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCFt4b-UXMHaPaCKTtDfFy0Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/haystacktv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/haystack-tv
• Instagraminstagram.com/haystacktv
• TikToktiktok.com/@haystacknews

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors8 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Haystack News