Orlando Weekly
Orlando Weekly is a 40-year-old alternative weekly newspaper and digital media brand covering Central Florida news, arts, food, music, and LGBTQ+ issues, monetized through advertising, reader donations, and branded events under Chava Communications ownership.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersOrlando, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Orlando Weekly does
Orlando Weekly is an alternative weekly newspaper and digital media brand serving Central Florida, founded in 1986 and currently publishing its 40th volume. It produces a weekly print edition, a continuously updated news website (orlandoweekly.com), a daily email newsletter with approximately 30,000 subscribers, and digital editions distributed through Issuu, alongside seasonal print guides (City Guide, Summer Guide, Holiday Guide, Newcomers Guide, BITE) and an annual Best Of Orlando® readers' poll and awards franchise. Editorial coverage spans local politics, LGBTQ+ issues including ongoing Pulse memorial reporting, arts and culture, food and drink, music, cannabis policy, movies, and Orlando theme parks — positioning the publication as the principal alternative voice to mainstream Florida media in the market.
The publication is owned by Chava Communications, a private media group that also operates San Antonio Current and OUT in SA. The technology stack is built on Newspack, a WordPress-based publishing platform purpose-built for news organizations, with MailChimp handling newsletter delivery and CitySpark powering the local events calendar. There is no public-facing app, no developer API, and no proprietary data or AI layer. Distribution is hybrid: weekly print, web, email newsletter, news aggregators (Apple News, Google News), and active accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok, and Bluesky.
Monetization rests on three pillars: (1) display and sponsored advertising across web and print, mediated through a dedicated media kit (mediakit.orlandoweekly.com); (2) recurring reader support donations processed via fundjournalism.org; and (3) event partnerships and branded festivals (Orlando Beer Festival, Whiskey Business, Tacos & Tequila, Brunch in the Park, Beer 'Merica, Orlando Taco Week, Bite30) that monetize through sponsorship and ticketing. The newsletter product is free under a freemium model. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and no external funding rounds are recorded. The company operates with 11–50 employees from a mailing address in Lake Mary, Florida.
Orlando Weekly firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Orlando Weekly
- Legal name
- Orlando Weekly
- Website
- https://orlandoweekly.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Orlando Weekly is a 40-year-old alternative weekly newspaper and digital media brand covering Central Florida news, arts, food, music, and LGBTQ+ issues, monetized through advertising, reader donations, and branded events under Chava Communications ownership.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Orlando Weekly industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local News & Media
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (51312)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)
Keywords
Where Orlando Weekly is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Orlando
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Orlando Weekly business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Advertising: Display advertising and sponsored content on website and in print edition. Advertise page referenced at mediakit.orlandoweekly.com.
- reader Support/Subscriptions: Fund journalism donations through fundjournalism.org platform. Newsletter signups with promotional offers for subscribers.
- Event Partnerships: Events division produces branded events including Orlando Beer Festival, Whiskey Business, Tacos & Tequila, Brunch in the Park, Beer 'Merica, Orlando Taco Week, and Bite30.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free daily newsletter |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Orlando Weekly product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Orlando Weekly publishes a weekly alternative newspaper and accompanying digital properties delivering Central Florida local news, politics, arts, food, music, cannabis, and event coverage to area residents and visitors. Its commercial offerings include display and sponsored advertising on digital and print surfaces, reader donations routed through fundjournalism.org, and branded community events such as the trademarked Best of Orlando® awards and themed food and drink festivals.
Product overview
Orlando Weekly is a weekly alternative news and entertainment publication covering Central Florida, operating as a single unified media brand built around its core weekly newspaper content. The portfolio consists of the main publication delivering news coverage across politics, arts, food, music, and local culture, supplemented by themed seasonal guides (City Guide, Summer Guide, Holiday Guide, Newcomers Guide), the annual Best Of Orlando® readers poll awards, the Orlando Weekly Daily newsletter distributed via email, and digital editions available through Issuu. The publication is owned by Chava Communications and powered by Newspack.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Orlando Weekly
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Orlando Weekly technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Orlando Weekly partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Chava CommunicationsminorParent company/ownership entity for Orlando Weekly and sister publications including SA Current (San Antonio), OUT in SA, and Local Culture Creative.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
Orlando Weekly competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Houston Press: Long-established Houston alt-weekly covering news, arts, food, and music with parallel print + digital + events operations. Closely comparable format and revenue model in a major Texas metro similar in scale to Orlando.
- Austin Chronicle: Iconic Texas alt-weekly with very similar structure: weekly print, robust event business (Austin Music Awards, etc.), arts/food/music coverage, and loyal local readership. Comparable size, market type, and revenue mix.
- Nashville Scene: Alternative weekly covering Nashville's music, food, and news scene with strong events business (e.g., Toast of Music City). Comparable mid-sized metro alt-weekly with similar editorial mix and advertising/event revenue profile.
- Willamette Week: Portland, Oregon alt-weekly with parallel news, arts, and politics coverage and a strong Best Of-style awards program. Comparable in scale and editorial scope to Orlando Weekly.
- San Antonio Current: Sister publication under Chava Communications, operating as an alt-weekly in a different Texas market. Direct format peer sharing back-office resources and editorial/event playbooks, and a natural benchmark for unit economics within the same owner.
- LA Weekly: Iconic West Coast alt-weekly covering Los Angeles arts, music, food, and culture. Direct format peer with print + digital + events model, offering a relevant benchmark despite a larger metro.
- Miami New Times: Long-running Florida alt-weekly covering Miami news, arts, food, and music with similar editorial positioning (politics, culture, lifestyle). Closest geographic and format competitor in the same state, offering a directly comparable business model of advertising + events + digital.
- Creative Loafing Atlanta: Long-running alt-weekly in Atlanta covering news, arts, food, and music with a print + digital + events model. Directly comparable format, scale, and editorial positioning despite the different geography.
- Creative Loafing Tampa Bay: Florida-based alt-weekly serving the Tampa Bay region with parallel coverage areas (news, arts, food, drink, music). Direct competitor in the same media category and adjacent geographic market with overlapping advertiser pools.
Broad incumbents
- Orlando Sentinel: Mainstream daily newspaper serving the same Orlando/Central Florida market with broader general-news and sports coverage. Not a direct format competitor but the dominant incumbent for local news ad budgets and reader attention.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Orlando Weekly social profiles
Digital presenceOrlando Weekly financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Orlando Weekly leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Orlando Weekly funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Orlando Weekly 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 Orlando Weekly
What does Orlando Weekly do?
Orlando Weekly publishes a weekly alternative newspaper and accompanying digital properties delivering Central Florida local news, politics, arts, food, music, cannabis, and event coverage to area residents and visitors. Its commercial offerings include display and sponsored advertising on digital and print surfaces, reader donations routed through fundjournalism.org, and branded community events such as the trademarked Best of Orlando® awards and themed food and drink festivals.
Is Orlando Weekly a public or private company?
Orlando Weekly is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Orlando Weekly founded?
Orlando Weekly was founded in 1986. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Orlando Weekly based?
Orlando Weekly is headquartered in Orlando, United States, in the North America region.
How does Orlando Weekly make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are reader Support/Subscriptions and event Partnerships.
Who are Orlando Weekly's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Houston Press, Austin Chronicle, Nashville Scene, Willamette Week, San Antonio Current, LA Weekly, Miami New Times, Creative Loafing Atlanta and Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Orlando Sentinel is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Orlando Weekly have an API?
No public API is recorded for Orlando Weekly.
What industry is Orlando Weekly in?
Orlando Weekly's product category is Local News & Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAB, Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital), with a secondary code of MPAJAEAN, Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines. Its NAICS code is 513110 and its SIC code is 2711.