Allen Media Group

What Allen Media Group does

Allen Media Group is a privately held, founder-owned (Byron Allen) diversified multi-platform media company founded in 1993 and headquartered in Los Angeles, with major operations in Atlanta (The Weather Group). The company operates across five business pillars: a portfolio of ten 24-hour HD cable networks (The Weather Channel, Weather Channel en Español, Comedy.TV, Cars.TV, ES.TV, JusticeCentral.TV, MyDestination.TV, Pets.TV, Recipe.TV); the Local Now free ad-supported streaming (FAST) super app with 400+ channels; TheGrio and HBCU GO digital/cable platforms serving African-American audiences; Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures and Freestyle Digital Media for theatrical and digital film distribution; and International Television. Following the 2026 Gray Media station divestiture, AMG has exited most of its broadcast-station ownership and is consolidating around streaming, cable networks, and content production.

Underlying the offering is a hybrid technology stack combining owned broadcast content management, the Local Now streaming platform distributed across MVPDs (Comcast, AT&T, Dish, Charter, Cox) and OTT platforms (YouTube TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Fox station distribution), and Immersive Mixed Reality Weather presentation technology. Ad-tech infrastructure includes Anoki ContextIQ scene-level video intelligence, Infillion interactive video, Brightline Frame ads, and Comscore cross-platform measurement, enabling real-time brand suitability and addressable advertising across live news, weather, sports, and entertainment inventory.

Monetization spans advertising sales across linear and CTV inventory (The Weather Channel, Local Now, FAST channels), MVPD retransmission fees from carriage agreements, content syndication/licensing to broadcast stations and international markets, theatrical and digital film distribution (transaction-based), and advertising on streaming platforms. Recent moves include the 52% controlling acquisition of BuzzFeed (May 2026, $120M) to build a YouTube-competitor streaming platform, a 10.7% stake in Starz (March 2026, $25M), the CBS late-night time buy for Comics Unleashed, and the full sale of the broadcast station group to Gray Media (May 2026, $171M). The company employs 2,400+ across all divisions and reaches 200M+ consumers daily, with The Weather Channel alone in 80M+ households.

Name

Allen Media Group

Legal name

Allen Media, LLC

Website

https://allenmedia.tv

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Allen Media Group is a privately held, founder-owned diversified multi-platform media company operating ten 24-hour HD cable networks, the Local Now FAST streaming platform, TheGrio and HBCU GO digital/cable properties, and theatrical film distribution, reaching 200M+ consumers daily across MVPD carriage, streaming platforms, and broadcast partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Broadcast Media and Cable Networks

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Aggregator/Platform Channels & Marketplace Bundles (Channel Stores, Super-Aggregators) (MPABAHAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

General Entertainment AVOD Platforms (MPACAAAB)

Keywords

• Cable television networks
• Weather news broadcasting
• Streaming video services
• Theatrical film distribution
• Broadcast television stations

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising Sales: Traditional and digital advertising revenue from The Weather Channel TV network and streaming platforms including Local Now and FAST channels. Includes targeted advertising through ContextIQ technology.
2. Retransmission Fees: Fees collected from MVPDs (multichannel video programming distributors) including Comcast, AT&T, Dish, Charter, and Cox for carriage of The Weather Channel and other networks.
3. Syndication and Distribution: Distribution of Entertainment Studios content to broadcast stations, cable networks, and international markets through syndication agreements.
4. Theatrical Film Releases: Distribution of feature films through Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures, including theatrical releases and subsequent home entertainment distribution.
5. Digital Distribution: Revenue from Freestyle Digital Media for digital distribution of entertainment content including streaming, download-to-own, and AVOD platforms.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Allen Media Group produces and distributes content across multiple platforms, operating ten 24-hour HD cable networks including The Weather Channel, Comedy.TV, Cars.TV, ES.TV, JusticeCentral.TV, MyDestination.TV, Pets.TV, Recipe.TV, and The Weather Channel en Español. The company also operates free ad-supported streaming platforms (Local Now, HBCU GO, Sports.TV), a digital news platform (TheGrio), a broadcast television station group, and theatrical and digital film distribution through Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures and Freestyle Digital Media.

Product overview

Allen Media Group is a diversified, multi-platform media company offering a portfolio of cable networks, broadcast television stations, streaming platforms, and film distribution services. The core product ecosystem includes Local Now (a free streaming super app with 400+ fast channels and localized content), The Weather Channel (a flagship 24-hour weather network), and ten 24-hour HD lifestyle cable networks (Comedy.TV, Cars.TV, ES.TV, JusticeCentral.TV, MyDestination.TV, Pets.TV, Recipe.TV, The Weather Channel, and The Weather Channel en Español). The company also operates TheGrio (digital African-American news platform), HBCU GO (HBCU streaming platform), Sports.TV (sports streaming), Freestyle Digital Media/Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures (theatrical and digital film distribution), and Allen Media Group Broadcasting (local TV stations reaching 5% of U.S. households). AMG produces approximately 70 television shows across genres including court programs, comedy game shows, and weather entertainment, reaching over 200 million consumers daily. The company recently acquired a controlling stake in BuzzFeed (2026) with plans to integrate it into a free streaming service competing with YouTube.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Weather Channel: 24-hour weather and climate news network reaching over 80 million households
• Local Now
• Comedy.TV
• Cars.TV
• ES.TV
• JusticeCentral.TV
• MyDestination.TV
• Pets.TV
• Recipe.TV
• TheGrio
• HBCU GO
• Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures
• Freestyle Digital Media
• Allen Media Broadcasting
• The Weather Channel en Español

Products and services

• The Weather Channel A 24-hour weather and climate news television network that generates over 90 hours of live programming per week, ranked 6th as a 'MUST HAVE' cable channel, reaching 80+ million households via MVPD carriage.
• Local Now A free, ad-supported streaming (FAST) mobile app and OTT platform delivering hyper-local weather, traffic, and lite-news along with a library of television and movie titles and over 400 fast-channels, positioned as the world's first 'super app' combining local and national content.
• Comedy.TV A 24-hour HD cable network featuring stand-up comedy shows including 'Funny You Should Ask,' 'Comics Unleashed,' and weather comedy 'The World's Funniest Weather.'
• Cars.TV A 24-hour HD cable network covering automotive content including auto show premieres, private collections, customizations, innovations, auctions, and racing, produced by Emmy Award-winning producers.
• ES.TV A 24-hour HD entertainment news channel providing red carpet interviews, behind-the-scenes content, and coverage of the latest entertainment news and celebrity projects.
• JusticeCentral.TV A 24-hour court television network featuring syndicated judge shows including 'America's Court with Judge Ross,' 'Justice for All with Judge Cristina Perez,' and 'Supreme Justice with Judge Karen.'
• MyDestination.TV A 24-hour HD travel and lifestyle network featuring Emmy Award-winning producers covering remote locations, luxury hotels, upscale eateries, and adventure destinations worldwide.
• Pets.TV A 24-hour HD lifestyle cable channel dedicated to pet content featuring shows like 'Just Ask the Pet Vet' and 'Animal Control Patrol' covering both wild and domesticated animals.
• Recipe.TV A 24-hour HD culinary cable channel combining travelogue and cooking programming, featuring step-by-step instructions from world-renowned chefs and cookbook authors across international locations.
• HBCU GO A streaming platform dedicated to Historically Black Colleges and Universities content, featuring academic, cultural, and athletic programming, including HBCU GO Sports for Black college sports and culture coverage.
• TheGrio A digital and cable news platform providing compelling entertainment, news, and lifestyle content for African-Americans, featuring aggregated and original video packages, news articles, and blogs with over 20 million annual visitors.
• Sports.TV An OTT subscription streaming service aggregating live sports networks and premium sports content for worldwide distribution across smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, gaming consoles, and computers.
• Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures A full-service theatrical motion picture distribution company representing independent companies, major studios, and mini-major studios, with theatrical releases and subsequent home entertainment distribution.
• Freestyle Digital Media A multi-platform film distribution unit providing promotional support, placement, and merchandising for independent filmmakers across cable, digital, and streaming platforms.
• Allen Media Group Broadcasting A broadcast station group owning or operating full-power and low-power television stations across U.S. markets, producing approximately 5,000 hours of original live localized weather programming and over 500 hours of live local news per week.
• The Weather Channel en Español The first 24-hour all-Spanish-language weather and climate news channel providing life-saving weather alerts and vital climate information in Spanish for U.S. and Mexican audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Local Now named Best Streaming News Service at Cynopsis Best of the Best & Rising Star Awards 2024
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and regional.

• Gray MediamajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStation transaction partnership for broadcast operations. Gray Media acquired Allen Media Group's broadcast stations in 2023 for $410 million, creating significant partnership dynamics around content distribution and local broadcasting.
• UNCFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for HBCU GO streaming platform serving Historically Black Colleges and Universities with sports, entertainment, and cultural programming.
• Fox Television StationsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChannel partnership for Local Now streaming service distribution through Fox station markets.
• YouTube TVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarriage agreement for streaming The Weather Channel and related content to YouTube TV subscribers.
• AmazoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFAST channel deal for Entertainment Studios content distribution on Amazon Fire TV, Echo Show, and Alexa devices.
• Charter CommunicationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarriage agreement for Spectrum distribution of broadcast and entertainment content.
• Hawaiian TelcomregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal cable operator partnership for Hawaii market broadcast distribution.
• SAWA MEDIAregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational distribution partnership for UAE and Middle East markets through SAWA MEDIA.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Nexstar Media Group: Largest U.S. owner of local TV stations and operator of cable networks (NewsNation, CW). Comparable to AMG as a scaled, diversified broadcast-and-cable operator with retransmission, advertising, and digital growth ambitions.
• Sinclair Broadcast Group: Major U.S. broadcast station group with regional sports networks and a national news offering (The National Desk). Comparable to AMG's Allen Media Broadcasting unit and broader strategy of bundling local origination with national programming and digital extensions.
• Gray Television: TV station operator that acquired 10 of AMG's stations in 2026 for $171M. Directly comparable in broadcast footprint, political/retransmission revenue model, and digital expansion strategy through stations and streaming.
• Tegna: Pure-play local broadcast group with major-market stations and significant retransmission revenue. Comparable to AMG's broadcast operations and increasingly relevant given AMG's strategic shift away from local broadcast via the Gray sale.
• E.W. Scripps Company: Operates local broadcast stations plus national cable networks (ION, Bounce, Court TV, Grit). Closely comparable to AMG's mix of broadcast stations plus lifestyle/court cable networks and FAST distribution.
• The E.W. Scripps Company (Pluto TV alternative: Tubi): Fox-owned free ad-supported streaming TV service with thousands of channels and on-demand titles. The closest pure-play FAST streaming competitor to AMG's Local Now and the combined BuzzFeed-Local Now super-aggregator strategy.
• BuzzFeed (post-AMG acquisition): Now a 52%-owned AMG subsidiary, but historically an independent digital media peer. Comparable as a digital video-centric publisher pursuing free streaming, social-first content, and CTV advertising monetization.

Broad incumbents

• Fox Corporation: Owns Fox broadcast network, Fox News, Fox Sports, and Tubi (FAST streaming). Comparable through Fox News/Tubi's FAST channel strategy and as an incumbent content supplier whose channels (Fox Weather, Fox Sports, Fox Soul) are now distributed via AMG's Local Now.
• Paramount Global: Owns CBS, Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, Pluto TV, and Paramount+. Comparable to AMG through CBS late-night (Comics Unleashed time-buy), BET/Pluto-style multicultural streaming, and FAST channel aggregation via Pluto TV.
• News Corp: Diversified media conglomerate (Fox News historically, Dow Jones, HarperCollins, REA). Comparable as a privately-influenced, multi-platform media company pursuing digital subscription, advertising, and content licensing strategies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ESGlobalMedia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AllenMediaGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/ESGlobalMedia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/entertainment-studios
• Instagraminstagram.com/allenmediagroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A6 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Allen Media Group