TheGrio
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
TheGrio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- TheGrio
- Legal name
- TheGrio
- Website
- https://thegrio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
TheGrio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital News and Media
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Entertainment AVOD Platforms (MPACAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- News & Politics Live Streaming Platforms (MPACACAG)
Keywords
Where TheGrio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
TheGrio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Advertising: TheGrio operates as an ad-supported digital media platform generating revenue through advertising on its website, videos, and podcast content
- Content Partnerships: Revenue generated through content partnerships and editorial collaborations such as the BLK Bestsellers List partnership with African American Literature Book Club
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
TheGrio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TheGrio is a digital video-centric news community platform that delivers Black-focused news, opinion, lifestyle, entertainment, and political coverage through its website, iOS mobile app, proprietary podcast network, and original video series. It monetizes via advertising and content partnerships, including the BLK Bestsellers List collaboration with the African American Literature Book Club.
Product overview
TheGrio is a Black media platform offering a unified digital content ecosystem comprising its core news and entertainment website (thegrio.com), a Black Podcast Network with 10+ original podcasts (including Being Black: The 80's with Touré, Dear Culture, TheGrio Daily, Harlem & Moscow, Star Stories, The Blackest Questions, Acting Up, Writing Black, Kevin Ross The Podcast, and What's in it for us?), an iOS mobile application, original video series content, and a Book Club vertical partnered with the BLK Bestsellers List. The platform delivers comprehensive coverage across news, politics, entertainment, lifestyle, sports, and business through multiple content formats including articles, podcasts, videos, and live streaming.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TheGrio Black Podcast Network: TheGrio Black Podcast Network (TGBPN) is the premier destination for listeners seeking exciting and thought-provoking original and aggregated content featuring Black culture, news, and entertainment. It includes podcasts such as Being Black: The 80s with Touré, Dear Culture, TheGrio Daily, Acting Up, Writing Black, Kevin Ross The Podcast, What's In It For Us, and others.
Products and services
- TheGrio Website (thegrio.com) TheGrio's primary digital news and content platform delivering Black news, politics, entertainment, lifestyle, and cultural coverage across multiple content formats including articles, videos, and live streaming.
- TheGrio Black Podcast Network A network of original podcasts covering Black culture, news, entertainment, and politics, featuring multiple hosted shows including Being Black: The 80's with Touré, Dear Culture, TheGrio Daily, Harlem & Moscow, Star Stories, The Blackest Questions, Acting Up, Writing Black, Kevin Ross The Podcast, and What's in it for us?
- TheGrio iOS Mobile App TheGrio's mobile application available on the iOS App Store for iPhone and iPad, enabling users to access news, podcasts, and video content on mobile devices.
- TheGrio Video Series/Content Original video content including animated series like Star Stories with Touré, Byron Allen Presents, Black Made, Choosing Motherhood, Life Hacks, Masters of the Game, TheGrio Weekly with Natasha Alford, The Hill with April Ryan, and live streaming programming.
- TheGrio Book Club A curated book club section featuring content related to books by Black authors, partnered with the BLK Bestsellers List and African American Literature Book Club (AALBC), covering categories including Adult Fiction and Nonfiction, Juvenile Fiction and Nonfiction, Young Adult, and Poetry.
- Being Black: The 80's with Touré A podcast hosted by Touré exploring Black history and culture in the 1980s, examining music, entertainment, and social issues of that era through in-depth discussions and historical analysis.
- Dear Culture A podcast hosted by Panama Jackson covering politics, entertainment, and social justice through the lens of culture with commentary, featuring discussions on Black movies, TV, and cultural phenomena.
- TheGrio Daily A daily news and commentary podcast hosted by Michael Harriot providing analysis of current events, social issues, and cultural topics from a Black perspective.
- Harlem & Moscow An audio drama based on the true story of the Harlem Renaissance artists who traveled to the Soviet Union in 1932, featuring companion podcast 'Red Flags' for deeper historical context.
- The Blackest Questions A podcast featuring conversations with notable Black guests exploring history, culture, and experiences through an engaging Q&A format.
- Acting Up A podcast hosted by Cortney Wills (TheGrio's Entertainment Director) featuring interviews with icons, celebrities, actors, producers, directors, and industry professionals covering Black Excellence in Hollywood.
- Writing Black A podcast focused on authors and literary content, featuring conversations with Black authors about their books, writing processes, and literary achievements.
Companies that use TheGrio
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
TheGrio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
TheGrio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- African American Literature Book Club (AALBC)coreTheGrio partnered with the African American Literature Book Club to become the new home of the BLK Bestsellers List. This collaboration combines TheGrio's editorial voice with AALBC's Circana BookScan-sourced sales data to create monthly bestseller content across eight categories including Adult Fiction and Nonfiction, Juvenile Fiction and Nonfiction, Young Adult, and Poetry, alongside original editorial content including author profiles, interviews, and reading guides.
- Black Book AcceleratorcoreTheGrio partnered with the Black Book Accelerator, creator of the BLK Bestsellers list, to help readers, publishers, and booksellers track the commercial success of Black writers and increase visibility for their work. The partnership addresses the issue of Black authors selling well but not appearing on mainstream bestseller lists.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
TheGrio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Blavity: Blavity is a Black-focused digital media and lifestyle network covering news, culture, entertainment, and politics. It is the most direct head-to-head competitor to TheGrio in audience, format (articles + newsletters + events), and advertiser proposition.
- The Root: The Root is a long-running Black-focused digital publication covering news, culture, politics, and opinion. It competes directly with TheGrio for Black American audiences, advertising dollars, and editorial talent.
- Shadow & Act: Shadow & Act is a digital publication covering Black entertainment, film, TV, and culture globally. It is closely comparable to TheGrio's entertainment vertical and competes for the same multicultural advertising budgets.
- Atlanta Black Star: Atlanta Black Star is a digital news and culture outlet serving Black audiences with news, opinion, and lifestyle content. It overlaps with TheGrio's core news and culture coverage and audience.
- Essence: Essence is a major Black women's media brand spanning editorial, video, events, and commerce. It competes with TheGrio for multicultural ad spend and Black audience attention, particularly in lifestyle and entertainment.
- Vibe: Vibe is a digital media brand covering Black music, entertainment, and culture. It is directly comparable to TheGrio's entertainment and music coverage and competes for the same audience and advertising dollars.
Emerging players
- OkayAfrica: OkayAfrica is a digital media platform focused on African and Black diaspora culture, music, and entertainment. It is a smaller, more music-leaning peer that overlaps with TheGrio's cultural and entertainment verticals.
Broad incumbents
- BET (Black Entertainment Television): BET is an established, large-scale Black-focused media brand spanning TV, digital, and events. It overlaps with TheGrio's entertainment and culture coverage but operates at significantly greater scale and across broadcast TV.
- HuffPost: HuffPost is a major general-interest digital publisher with long-running Black-voices and culture verticals. It competes for the same multicultural advertising budgets and audience attention as TheGrio, but as part of a much broader portfolio.
- NBC News BLK: NBC News BLK is NBC News' dedicated Black-focused editorial vertical covering news, culture, and identity. It is a mainstream-incumbent peer competing for the same Black American news audience and multicultural ad dollars as TheGrio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
TheGrio social profiles
Digital presenceTheGrio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TheGrio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
TheGrio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TheGrio M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about TheGrio
What does TheGrio do?
TheGrio is a digital video-centric news community platform that delivers Black-focused news, opinion, lifestyle, entertainment, and political coverage through its website, iOS mobile app, proprietary podcast network, and original video series. It monetizes via advertising and content partnerships, including the BLK Bestsellers List collaboration with the African American Literature Book Club.
Is TheGrio a public or private company?
TheGrio is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was TheGrio founded?
TheGrio was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is TheGrio based?
TheGrio is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does TheGrio make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are content Partnerships.
Who are TheGrio's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Blavity, The Root, Shadow & Act, Atlanta Black Star, Essence and Vibe. OkayAfrica is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are BET (Black Entertainment Television), HuffPost and NBC News BLK.
Does TheGrio have an API?
No public API is recorded for TheGrio.
What industry is TheGrio in?
TheGrio's product category is Digital News and Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAAAB, General Entertainment AVOD Platforms, with a secondary code of MPACACAG, News & Politics Live Streaming Platforms. Its NAICS code is 51621.