What KARE 11 does

KARE 11 (legal entity KARE-TV) is an NBC-affiliated local broadcast television station serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area and greater Minnesota, owned and operated by TEGNA (NYSE: TGNA), a large publicly-traded broadcast media company headquartered in Tysons, Virginia. Founded in 1953 and headquartered in Minneapolis with 251-500 employees, the station operates a free over-the-air broadcast alongside a growing portfolio of digital distribution channels: the KARE 11+ streaming service on Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV; native iOS and Android mobile applications; and the kare11.com website. Programming centers on KARE 11 News (Sunrise, Noon, 4, 5, 6, 10, plus Saturday and Breaking the News analysis), KARE 11 Weather (including the Weather Impact 24/7 streaming channel with continuous radar), KARE 11 Sports (Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves, Lynx, Wild, Gophers, United, and high school), and KARE 11 Investigates, an editorial unit producing accountability reporting on fraud, healthcare, and government.

The station's underlying technology stack combines broadcast production infrastructure, 24/7 weather radar systems, a content management system powering multi-platform distribution, and integrations across major smart TV and mobile ecosystems. Content is supplemented through partnerships including FanDuel Sports Network (sports production), Gray Media (broadcast extension to outstate Minnesota), and Locked On Podcast Network (sports talk content). A VERIFY fact-checking vertical was added in 2025 to combat misinformation.

KARE 11's commercial model is advertising-led, monetizing reach across broadcast and digital inventory sold to local and national advertisers, supplemented by NBC network affiliation compensation. Content is provided free to viewers (Freemium pricing); there are no subscriptions, software licenses, or material B2B services sold at scale. The named enterprise partnership is the expanded Minnesota Timberwolves broadcast deal. Customer-facing segments split between general news consumers, Minnesota sports fans, weather-focused viewers, and advertisers seeking access to the Twin Cities television audience.

Name

KARE 11

Legal name

KARE-TV

Website

https://kare11.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

KARE 11 is an NBC-affiliated local television station in Minneapolis-St. Paul, owned by TEGNA, providing free over-the-air news, weather, sports, and investigative journalism to Minnesota viewers across broadcast and digital streaming platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: KARE 11 generates primary revenue through advertising sales, including commercials aired during news programming, sports broadcasts, and digital advertising on its website and mobile applications.
2. NBC Network Affiliation: As an NBC affiliate, KARE 11 receives programming and potentially compensation from NBCUniversal in exchange for broadcasting network content and maintaining local news coverage standards.
3. Streaming Services: KARE 11+ app provides free streaming content, driving additional advertising inventory and viewer engagement across digital platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KARE 11 is an NBC-affiliated local broadcast television station producing and distributing local news, weather forecasting, sports coverage, and investigative journalism for the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area and greater Minnesota. Its offering combines free over-the-air television newscasts, a free streaming service (KARE 11+) on smart TV and mobile platforms, a 24/7 weather radar channel (Weather Impact 24/7), and dedicated content brands such as KARE 11 Investigates and Breaking the News, monetized primarily through advertising sales.

Product overview

KARE 11 is an NBC affiliate television station serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul market, offering a comprehensive news platform with multiple daily newscasts (KARE 11 Sunrise, News at Noon, News at 4, News at 5, News at 6, News at 10) plus weekend programming (KARE 11 News Saturday). The station operates as a unified broadcast and digital platform combining core products: local and national news coverage, weather forecasting through KARE 11 Weather with the Weather Impact 24/7 streaming channel, and sports reporting. KARE 11 Investigates provides investigative journalism, while Breaking the News offers in-depth story analysis. The KARE 11+ over-the-top streaming service delivers live newscasts and on-demand content across smart TV platforms (Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV), complementing the traditional broadcast offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KARE 11 Investigates: Investigative journalism unit producing in-depth reporting on fraud, public safety, and community issues
• KARE 11 Sunrise
• KARE 11 Saturday
• Breaking the News
• Weather Impact 24/7
• KARE 11+

Products and services

• KARE 11 News Local and national news coverage for the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area and greater Minnesota, including breaking news, local stories, politics, and community reporting.
• KARE 11 Weather Weather forecasting and reporting including live radar, 10-day forecasts, severe weather alerts, and the Weather Impact 24/7 streaming channel.
• KARE 11 Sports Sports coverage including Minnesota Vikings, Golden Gophers, Minnesota Lynx, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota United, Minnesota Wild, and high school sports.
• KARE 11 Investigates Investigative journalism unit producing in-depth reporting on fraud, healthcare, public safety, and government accountability issues.
• KARE 11 Sunrise Weekday morning news program airing from 4:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. featuring overnight news, weather, and traffic information.
• KARE 11 News at Noon Midday news program airing weekdays at noon covering news, weather, and events across Minnesota.
• KARE 11 News at 4 Afternoon news program airing weekdays at 4 p.m. featuring news, weather, and lifestyle features.
• KARE 11 News at 5 Evening news program airing daily at 5 p.m. with a closer look at the day's news and weather.
• KARE 11 News at 6 Evening news program airing Mondays through Saturday at 6 p.m. with up-to-the-minute news, weather, and sports.
• KARE 11 News at 10 Late evening news program airing daily at 10 p.m. covering the biggest news of the day with weather and sports.
• KARE 11 News Saturday Saturday morning news program airing from 8 a.m. featuring news, weather, gardening, food, and entertainment content.
• Breaking the News Weekday evening program at 6:30 p.m. providing in-depth analysis of the day's biggest stories.
• KARE 11+ Over-the-top streaming service providing live streams of all KARE 11 newscasts, on-demand replays, and exclusive content available on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and smart TV platforms.
• VERIFY Fact-checking feature and section that verifies claims and debunks misinformation in news stories.
• Weather Impact 24/7 24/7 live radar and weather streaming channel providing continuous weather coverage with live radar and forecasts for Minnesota communities.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kowalski's MarketsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 May 2026Former KARE 11 chief meteorologist Belinda Jensen transitioned to a brand ambassador role with Kowalski's Markets following her retirement, continuing her connection with the station while promoting the grocery chain's brand.
• Minnesota TimberwolvescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 13 November 2025Expanded broadcast partnership to extend free, over-the-air access to Timberwolves basketball across additional Minnesota markets including Duluth, Mankato, and Rochester. The partnership builds on existing arrangement with KARE 11 and FanDuel Sports Network, which produces game broadcasts including pre- and post-game shows. The expansion aims to increase fan accessibility and deepen regional engagement with the team.
• FanDuel Sports NetworkcoreTechnology or Integration · 13 November 2025FanDuel Sports Network produces the Minnesota Timberwolves game broadcasts including pre-game and post-game shows that air on KARE 11, providing professional sports production and content creation for the broadcast partnership.
• Gray MediacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 13 November 2025Gray Media serves as a key broadcast partner in the expanded Timberwolves coverage initiative, working with KARE 11 to extend free over-the-air access to Timberwolves basketball across additional Minnesota markets.
• Locked On Podcast NetworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKARE 11 partners with Locked On Podcast Network for Minnesota sports talk content, providing sports coverage and podcast content across the station's digital platforms.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WBAL-TV: TEGNA-owned NBC affiliate in Baltimore. Similar TEGNA-owned mid-to-large market NBC affiliate with comparable news, weather, and sports operations.
• WCCO-TV: CBS affiliate and direct in-market competitor to KARE 11 in the Minneapolis-St. Paul DMA. Competes for the same local audience, advertisers, and sports rights as KARE 11.
• KSTP-TV: ABC affiliate serving the same Minneapolis-St. Paul market. Recently acquired 'Minnesota Bound' from KARE 11, making it a direct content and audience competitor.
• KMSP-TV: Fox affiliate (FOX 9) serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul market. Competes head-to-head with KARE 11 for local news viewership and Twin Cities advertising budgets.
• WFAA: TEGNA-owned ABC affiliate in Dallas-Fort Worth, a similarly large-market local news operation. Closely comparable in ownership structure, content mix, and advertising-driven business model.
• KUSA: TEGNA-owned NBC affiliate in Denver. Same corporate parent and similar major-market broadcast news profile as KARE 11, making it a strong operational peer.
• KING-TV: TEGNA-owned NBC affiliate in Seattle-Tacoma. Comparable as another TEGNA NBC affiliate in a top-15 US DMA with strong local news, weather, and sports franchises.
• WUSA: TEGNA-owned CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C. Comparable as a TEGNA major-market local news station with extensive investigative programming and multi-platform distribution.
• WLWT: TEGNA-owned NBC affiliate in Cincinnati. Comparable TEGNA-owned NBC affiliate operating in a mid-sized market with similar local news, weather, and sports coverage mandate.

Broad incumbents

• WNBC: NBC's flagship owned-and-operated station in New York. Same NBC network affiliation as KARE 11 but operates at much larger scale as an O&O within NBCUniversal's portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kare11
• Facebookfacebook.com/kare11

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 KARE 11