BIA Advisory Services

What BIA Advisory Services does

BIA Advisory Services is a private, founder-led data, forecasting, and advisory firm serving the U.S. local media and advertising industry. Founded in 1983 by Tom Buono and headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia, the company operates as the data and consulting arm of the BIA Financial Network, alongside BIA Capital Strategies (investment banking) and BIA Digital Partners (mezzanine fund). BIA generates revenue from recurring subscriptions to its proprietary data platforms — MAPro and MAPro Breeze (broadcasting/publishing database covering 30,000+ organizations) and BIA ADVantage (local advertising intelligence with 10-year forecasts across 210 TV markets and 243 radio markets) — supplemented by professional services including media valuations, custom research, strategic advisory, competitive intelligence, and investment banking transactions. Its core technology stack centers on proprietary, daily-updated databases maintained by a team of analysts, economists, data scientists, and Accredited Senior Appraisers.

BIA serves five primary customer segments: broadcasting and publishing companies (valuations, market intelligence, M&A advisory); brands and advertising agencies (local ad spend forecasting, media planning); investors and financial institutions (due diligence, fairness opinions); government and regulatory bodies including the FCC (regulatory data, policy analysis); and technology and digital platforms (local media landscape intelligence). The go-to-market model is enterprise field-sales driven via a consultative "Become a Client" intake process, complemented by self-serve web platforms, an e-commerce storefront for individual reports, and direct engagement for high-touch valuation and advisory work. Distribution is exclusively domestic U.S., though the MAPro database also covers Canada and Mexico.

The company's strategic positioning is built on four decades of accumulated proprietary data, a small set of well-known flagship products, and high-touch professional services that create multi-year enterprise stickiness. Recent strategic activity (2025-2026) has focused on partnership-driven channel expansion (Adwanted, MFM, AdApt), senior leadership additions (Senan Mele for forecasting, Michael Guerity for AI-augmented market intelligence), and product-line broadening (DOOH forecast inclusion, MAPro Breeze, Hispanic Radio Directory updates). No external institutional funding has been disclosed; the firm appears founder-owned and managed under Tom Buono's continued leadership as CEO.

Name

BIA Advisory Services

Legal name

BIA Advisory Services

Website

https://bia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

BIA Advisory Services is a private data, forecasting, and advisory firm serving the U.S. local media and advertising industry since 1983. It monetizes proprietary databases (MAPro covering 30,000+ media organizations; BIA ADVantage forecasting 210 TV and 243 radio markets) via subscriptions, plus valuations, strategic advisory, and investment banking services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Media & Advertising Research and Consulting

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Management Consulting Services (54161), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Business Intelligence, Reporting & Visualization Services (BPAEAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) & BI (HDAEAMAG), Data Platform, BI & Analytics Integration (BPAEAAAI), Location Intelligence, Analytics & Geospatial BI (BPAMANAE)

Keywords

• Local advertising forecasts
• Broadcast media valuations
• Media industry research
• Advertising data analytics
• Investment banking advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Chantilly

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Data & Analytics Platform Subscriptions: BIA generates recurring subscription revenue from MAPro (full and Breeze versions) and BIA ADVantage platform subscriptions. Subscribers pay for access to proprietary broadcast and advertising forecast data, searchable databases, mapping tools, and quarterly analysis reports. Subscriptions are sold as standalone or companion services.
2. Forecasting & Research Products: Sale of published forecast reports including nationwide U.S. Local Advertising Forecast, statewide forecast reports, Investing In Radio and Investing In TV market reports, Ownership Reports, and Hispanic Radio Stations Directory. One-time purchase of reports or data products.
3. Custom Research Services: Custom data pulls and research services tailored to specific client requests, drawing on BIA's proprietary advertising spend data and broadcast station database. Revenue is project-based, ranging from targeted data queries to comprehensive custom research engagements for local advertising and broadcasting.
4. Valuations & Appraisals: BIA provides fair market valuations, impairment testing, purchase price allocations, litigation support and expert testimony, and fresh start accounting for media/broadcasting companies. Revenue is fee-based per engagement, ranging from formal appraisals to radio and TV stick value calculators.
5. Strategic Advisory & Consulting Services: BIA offers competitive intelligence services, strategic consulting, share of wallet analysis, and go-to-market strategy engagements. Revenue is fee-based per project or retainer.
6. Investment Banking: BIA Capital Strategies, LLC, a communications industry investment bank, provides equity and debt funding facilitation and fairness opinions. Revenue generated through transaction fees and advisory retainers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

BIA Advisory Services provides investment banking, valuations, data research and forecasting, and strategic consulting services focused exclusively on the local media and advertising industry. The firm sells subscription access to proprietary data platforms (MAPro broadcast/publishing database, MAPro Breeze web app, and BIA ADVantage local advertising intelligence platform) and delivers fee-based services including media valuations, strategic advisory, custom research, share of wallet analysis, competitive intelligence, and FCC monitoring to broadcasters, brands, agencies, investors, and government agencies.

Product overview

BIA Advisory Services offers a portfolio of data analytics, forecasting, and advisory products for the local media and advertising industry. The core product suite includes BIA ADVantage (local advertising revenue intelligence platform with simplified forecast data access), MEDIA Access Pro/MAPro Breeze (broadcasting and publishing database with thousands of data fields on TV/radio stations), and comprehensive research publications (Investing In Radio/TV reports, Hispanic Radio Stations Directory, Statewide Forecast Reports). Supporting services include valuations and appraisals, strategic advisory, competitive intelligence, custom research, share of wallet analysis, FCC monitoring, and investment banking. The company has analyzed properties worth more than $50 billion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MEDIA Access Pro (MAPro): Broadcasting and publishing industry database with thousands of data fields on TV and radio stations
• BIA ADVantage
• MAPro Breeze
• Investing In Radio
• Investing In TV

Products and services

• BIA ADVantage Local advertising revenue intelligence platform providing simplified access to BIA's U.S. Local Advertising Forecast data across 210 TV markets and 243 radio markets, covering 16 media platforms and 96 business verticals with 10-year projections. Sold as subscription to media companies, brands, agencies, and investors.
• MEDIA Access Pro (MAPro) Broadcasting and publishing industry database offering thousands of searchable data fields on 30,000+ TV and radio stations and publishing organizations across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, including ownership, revenue, technical data, personnel contacts, and market demographics. Data updated daily by BIA analysts. Sold as subscription to broadcasters and industry professionals.
• MAPro Breeze Streamlined web application built on the MAPro foundation offering faster, intuitive searching for call letters, affiliations, market names and ranks, digital coverage, OTA and digital revenue, owners, and FCC IDs. Data exportable to Excel, PDF, and CSV. Sold to busy broadcast and media professionals.
• Valuations & Appraisals Fair market valuations, impairment testing, purchase price allocations, litigation support and expert testimony, fresh start accounting, and radio/TV stick value calculators for media and broadcasting properties. Delivered as fee-based engagements to broadcasters, lenders, attorneys, and investors.
• Strategic Advisory Services Strategic consulting services helping media companies develop big-picture strategies for digital trends, revenue diversification, M&A, and overall business success. Delivered as fee-based engagements or retainers to media executives and boards.
• Competitive Intelligence Comprehensive intelligence engagements including SWOT analysis, competitive company/industry/product analysis, go-to-market strategy, and sales/CI training outsourcing. Sold to media companies and brands seeking to understand competitive positioning.
• Custom Research Custom data pulls and research projects drawing on BIA's ad spend data across 96 industries and 16 media platforms, plus broadcasting data on U.S. stations. Sold as project-based engagements to brands, agencies, and investors.
• Share of Wallet Analysis Performance benchmarking services to help clients understand their share of advertising wallet compared to competitors in local markets. Sold to media sales organizations and brands.
• FCC Monitoring Automated monitoring service tracking FCC public notices and databases for broadcast compliance and regulatory updates. Sold to broadcast license holders and communications attorneys.
• Investment Banking Equity and debt funding facilitation and fairness opinions for communications industry transactions, delivered through BIA Capital Strategies, LLC. Sold to media companies, investors, and lenders seeking capital markets advisory.
• Statewide Local Ad Forecast Reports State-specific reports projecting advertising investment across traditional and digital media channels within any U.S. state. Sold as individual reports via the online shop.
• Investing In Radio Market Report Comprehensive market report providing revenue estimates for every Nielsen audio market, including over-the-air and digital revenue breakdowns. Sold as subscription publication to radio industry professionals.
• Hispanic Radio Stations Directory Comprehensive directory covering 2,000+ Spanish-formatted AM and FM radio stations across the U.S., including call signs, formats, market data, owners, and parent companies. Sold via the online shop and updated quarterly.

Quantifiable outcome

• Analyzed more than $50 billion in communications properties over 40+ years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AdApt Media SalescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2026BIA Advisory Services and AdApt Media Sales announced a strategic partnership to advance data-driven local media sales. The partnership combines AdApt's AI-powered sales platform with BIA's local market data to help media companies improve sales performance. A podcast episode exploring the partnership was released on BIA's Leading Local Insights podcast channel in March 2026.
• Media Financial Management Association (MFM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 September 2025BIA Advisory Services and the Media Financial Management Association announced a strategic partnership to provide essential local media insights and analytics to MFM members. The collaboration aims to enhance data-driven decision-making and insights for media professionals nationwide, leveraging BIA's forecasting and valuation data with MFM's financial management community.
• SalesFuelminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 December 2023BIA and SalesFuel co-released a healthcare advertising survey projecting $12 billion in local healthcare advertising for 2024. The survey revealed spending trends among healthcare marketers and the increasing role of generative AI in the marketing landscape. BIA contributed its forecasting data and industry expertise to the joint research effort.
• VevominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 July 2022BIA produced a sponsored research report titled 'OTT – The Rising Star in Local Ad Spending: Regional and Business Vertical Trends,' underwritten by Vevo. The report analyzed local OTT advertising growth trends, regional spending patterns, and top verticals. BIA maintained full editorial control and applied its standard objective analysis methodology.
• National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 June 2022BIA and NABOB partnered to release the 2022 Black Owned Radio Stations Ownership & Revenue Report, the first comprehensive analysis of Black-owned radio stations providing specific station revenue and audience metrics. BIA contributed its proprietary station data and analytical expertise to the partnership, while NABOB provided industry access and advocacy leadership.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Nielsen (Nielsen Audio / Nielsen Local): Nielsen operates Nielsen Audio (radio ratings) and Nielsen Local TV, providing broadcast audience measurement and advertising intelligence that overlaps with BIA's station-level data and forecasting capabilities.
• Comscore: Comscore provides cross-platform media measurement and advertising analytics that overlap with BIA's local advertising and audience data, though it focuses more on digital and connected TV.
• Kantar Media: Kantar Media offers advertising intelligence, audience measurement, and competitive monitoring services, comparable in scope to BIA's broadcast and advertising intelligence platforms.

Direct peers

• Borrell Associates: Borrell Associates focuses on local advertising spending data, market research, and consulting for U.S. local media — directly comparable to BIA's local advertising forecasts and competitive intelligence services.
• SNL Kagan (S&P Global Market Intelligence): SNL Kagan, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence, provides media and communications industry data, forecasts, valuations, and M&A coverage closely paralleling BIA's MAPro database and BIA ADVantage forecasting services.
• eMarketer / Insider Intelligence: eMarketer (now part of Insider Intelligence) produces digital advertising forecasts, market research, and trend analysis for advertisers and agencies, overlapping with BIA ADVantage's local advertising intelligence offerings.

Others

• Digital Content Next (DCN): DCN is a trade association that publishes research on digital advertising trends and economics, providing adjacent market intelligence overlapping thematically with BIA ADVantage's coverage.
• Wells Fargo Media Equity Research: Wells Fargo's media equity research team publishes sector analysis on broadcasters and digital media companies, providing institutional research used by BIA's investment banking and valuation client base.

Emerging players

• Standard Media Index: Standard Media Index tracks advertising spending across media types and markets, comparable to BIA's local advertising forecast and share of wallet analysis offerings.
• MoffettNathanson Research: MoffettNathanson provides independent equity research and analysis on media and telecommunications, offering investment-adjacent intelligence relevant to BIA's investment banking and valuation clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/biakelsey
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BIAmediacenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/biakelsey
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biaadvisorysrvs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 BIA Advisory Services