What Local News Network does

Local News Network (LNN) is a private media technology company founded in 2019 and headquartered in Durango, Colorado. The company operates a digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising network built around community screens located in local venues across southwest Colorado. As of the latest available data, the network comprises 65 screens. LNN's stated mission is to sustain local journalism by generating passive advertising revenue for community publishers that would otherwise lack access to national programmatic demand.

The core technology stack combines AdButler, which serves as the programmatic-ad middleware, with ScrnNow, which provides the DOOH monetization layer. This integration allows national brand advertising to be programmatically layered alongside local content on community screens — a capability typically reserved for networks operating 500 or more screens. LNN has positioned this technical integration as the mechanism that unlocks national programmatic revenue for sub-scale community publishers.

LNN's business model is advertising-based, with two revenue streams: (1) local advertising sold directly to community advertisers, and (2) national programmatic advertising delivered through the AdButler/ScrnNow integration. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market motion is partnership-driven: LNN recruits local journalism organizations and community media partners to add their screens to the network in exchange for passive revenue share. The company is privately held, has 1–10 employees, and has raised approximately $665,000 across six small funding rounds between April 2019 and August 2021.

Name

Local News Network

Website

https://thelocalnews.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Local News Network is a private media-tech company operating a digital out-of-home advertising network of 65 community screens in southwest Colorado, using AdButler and ScrnNow integrations to deliver national programmatic ads alongside local content for community publishers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Out-of-Home Advertising

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Screens & Networks (BPAFALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Advertising (MPAAAKAB)

Keywords

• Digital out-of-home advertising
• Community screen network
• Programmatic advertising platform
• Local journalism support
• DOOH ad insertion

Headquarters

HQ city

Durango

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. National Programmatic Advertising: LNN generates passive revenue by connecting its network of community screens to national programmatic advertising demand through the AdButler-ScrnNow platform integration. This creates a new revenue stream from national brands alongside existing local advertising.
2. Local Advertising: Revenue from local advertisers displayed on community screens, which can be layered with or replaced by national programmatic ads when available.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Local News Network operates a digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising network of 65 community screens across southwest Colorado, integrating AdButler middleware and ScrnNow DOOH monetization to connect local journalism publishers with national programmatic advertising demand. The platform layers programmatic national advertising with locally produced news content on community screens, creating a passive revenue stream that sustains local journalism operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DOOH Advertising Network A digital out-of-home advertising network of 65 community screens across southwest Colorado that layers programmatic national advertising on top of locally produced news content for local journalism publishers and national brand advertisers.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ScrnNowcoreTechnology or Integration · 6 May 2026ScrnNow provides the DOOH monetization platform that enables LNN to access national programmatic advertising. The platform works in conjunction with AdButler to seamlessly layer national ads with local content on community screens.
• AdButlercoreTechnology or IntegrationAdButler serves as the middleware platform for LNN's digital out-of-home advertising network. The expanded partnership integrates AdButler's programmatic advertising technology with ScrnNow to connect 65 community screens to national programmatic advertising demand.
• AdButlercoreTechnology or IntegrationLNN extended its partnership with AdButler to use the platform as middleware for connecting its southwest Colorado network of 65 DOOH screens to national programmatic advertising demand through ScrnNow's integration.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Vistar Media: Vistar Media is a leading programmatic DOOH ad platform and SSP. It is comparable to LNN because both aggregate fragmented DOOH inventory and connect it to programmatic demand, though Vistar operates at vastly larger scale with hundreds of thousands of screens globally.
• Place Exchange: Place Exchange is a programmatic DOOH SSP that enables real-time bidding across digital signage networks. It is comparable to LNN because it serves the same buyer demand pool and sits in similar aggregation infrastructure, though at materially larger scale.
• Broadsign: Broadsign provides CMS and programmatic tools for DOOH networks. It is comparable to LNN as a technology enabler for screen operators wanting to monetize via programmatic advertising, with broader enterprise reach and feature set.
• GSTV: GSTV operates a network of digital screens at gas stations delivering video content and advertising. It is comparable to LNN as a venue-based DOOH network operator monetizing via national brand demand, though GSTV's scale and venue mix are very different.

Direct peers

• AdButler: AdButler is LNN's own programmatic middleware partner, providing ad serving for digital out-of-home networks. It is a direct functional peer because it powers the same programmatic DOOH capability LNN uses, including for community and small-network operators.
• Atmosphere (formerly The Chive): Atmosphere operates a streaming TV network placed in businesses and venues, monetized via programmatic and direct ads. It is comparable to LNN because it combines local/community venue distribution with national advertising demand and is pursuing OTT-style expansion.
• Firefly: Firefly attaches digital advertising screens to rideshare vehicles for hyperlocal programmatic DOOH reach. It is comparable to LNN as a venue-/community-based DOOH network selling national brand demand, though with a different venue type and larger footprint.

Emerging players

• AdQuick: AdQuick is a marketplace that connects advertisers to out-of-home inventory including DOOH. It is comparable to LNN as an aggregation layer sitting between fragmented screen operators and national demand, though focused more on planning/buying than on publisher-side monetization.

Regional players

• StrandVision: StrandVision provides digital signage software for small businesses and venues. It is comparable to LNN as a community/locale-focused DOOH enabler, though StrandVision focuses on CMS for self-managed signage rather than programmatic aggregation.

Others

• Local Media Association: LMA is a trade association supporting local news publishers with revenue and technology partnerships. It is comparable to LNN because it sits at the intersection of local journalism sustainability and ad-tech enablement, serving as an ecosystem connector rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thelocalnewsnetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/localnewsnetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors1 record

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 Local News Network