LA Weekly
LA Weekly is a Los Angeles-based alternative weekly publication covering arts, culture, food, music, and entertainment across print, web, and newsletters, monetizing primarily through advertising aimed at local and national brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What LA Weekly does
LA Weekly is a privately held Los Angeles alternative weekly publication founded in 1978, currently operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Street Media, a diversified media conglomerate that also owns PAPER, BUST, The Village Voice, and several regional titles. The company functions as a cultural guide for the Los Angeles metropolitan area, covering news, arts, culture, food, music, entertainment, and cannabis across both print and digital channels.
The product portfolio consists of four core offerings: a weekly print newspaper distributed at pickup locations throughout Los Angeles; the laweekly.com website, which serves over 4 million monthly active users; a digital E-Edition archive spanning 2016 through 2026; and six segmented email newsletters (weekly events, food and drink, music, arts, entertainment, and cannabis). The underlying technology is described as a digital-first publishing platform with print integration, with no proprietary AI/ML, API, or SDK capabilities disclosed.
LA Weekly monetizes primarily through advertising across print, digital, and social channels targeting the Los Angeles market, supplemented by digital subscriptions or single-copy e-edition purchases. Its customer base is bifurcated: a horizontal consumer audience of LA residents and visitors seeking cultural and entertainment guidance, and a business-side audience of local and national advertisers seeking targeted LA demographic reach. The publication maintains live street events as an experiential channel for community engagement and advertiser activation, and has accumulated significant intangible assets including a Pulitzer Prize for restaurant criticism (2007) and the most awards from the Association of Alternative Newsmedia of any US publication.
LA Weekly firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LA Weekly
- Legal name
- LA Weekly
- Website
- https://laweekly.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- LA Weekly is a Los Angeles-based alternative weekly publication covering arts, culture, food, music, and entertainment across print, web, and newsletters, monetizing primarily through advertising aimed at local and national brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LA Weekly industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local News and Media
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Consumer Lifestyle & Fashion Magazines (MPAJAEAA), News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)
Keywords
Where LA Weekly is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
LA 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
Revenue model
- Advertising: The company offers print, digital, and social media marketing solutions for brands seeking to reach targeted Los Angeles audiences.
- Digital Subscriptions/E-Editions: Editions available from 2016 through 2026, suggesting digital subscription or single-copy purchase revenue.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
LA Weekly product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LA Weekly is an alternative weekly newspaper and digital media publication serving the Los Angeles market with comprehensive coverage of arts, culture, food, music, entertainment, and cannabis. Its offerings include a weekly print edition distributed at pickup locations throughout LA, a digital-first website (laweekly.com) attracting over 4 million monthly active users, archived digital E-Editions spanning 2016-2026, and six topic-segmented email newsletters. The publication also sells integrated print, digital, and social media advertising solutions to local and national brands seeking to reach targeted LA audiences.
Product overview
LA Weekly operates as a traditional print and digital media publication covering Los Angeles arts, culture, entertainment, food, music, and cannabis. The company's product portfolio consists of a weekly print newspaper, its companion website (laweekly.com) featuring continuously updated online content, archived digital E-Editions spanning 2016-2026, and subscription-based email newsletters organized by topic category. These products serve as comprehensive local guides for Los Angeles residents and visitors seeking cultural coverage, dining recommendations, event listings, and entertainment reviews.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- LA Weekly Website (laweekly.com) Online news and entertainment platform covering Los Angeles with articles, reviews, photo galleries, and event listings across food, music, entertainment, arts, culture, and cannabis categories. Serves LA residents and visitors as a cultural guide, and reaches over 4 million monthly active users.
- Print Edition Weekly print newspaper distributed at pickup locations throughout Los Angeles, providing news, arts coverage, dining reviews, and entertainment guides in physical newspaper format. Targets LA residents and visitors who consume local editorial coverage in print.
- E-Editions Digital archive of weekly print issues available online from 2016 through 2026, allowing readers to browse and access past editions electronically. Targets LA Weekly readers and researchers seeking historical access to the publication's coverage.
- Email Newsletters Subscription-based email newsletters organized by topic category: What's Happening This Week, Food + Drink, Music, Arts, Entertainment, and Cannabis. Target LA residents and visitors seeking curated, recurring updates on local cultural happenings.
Companies that use LA Weekly
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
LA Weekly technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
LA Weekly partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Street Mediaparent companyLA Weekly is owned by Street Media, a media company that owns multiple alternative weekly publications across the United States including PAPER, BUST, The Village Voice, Irvine Weekly, Marina Times, The Greensheet, Charlotte Media Group, The Leader, The Fort Bend Star, and The Laker/Lutz News.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
LA Weekly competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PAPER Magazine: PAPER is a culture and fashion publication also owned by Street Media. It shares the alternative-cultural editorial voice of LA Weekly and operates as a sister brand within the same parent portfolio.
- Chicago Reader: Chicago Reader is a Chicago-based alt-weekly covering arts, culture, food, and news. It mirrors LA Weekly's editorial structure and revenue model (advertising-led alt-weekly with digital and print products) in a different market.
- The Stranger: The Stranger is a long-running alt-weekly covering arts, music, food, and news in Seattle. It is highly comparable to LA Weekly in editorial mix, audience, and alt-weekly business model, although it serves a different city.
- Los Angeles Magazine: Los Angeles Magazine is a monthly city magazine covering LA news, culture, food, and lifestyle. It serves the same metropolitan audience and competes for the same pool of LA-focused advertisers as LA Weekly.
- Time Out Los Angeles: Time Out LA is a digital-first local entertainment and dining guide covering restaurants, nightlife, arts, and events in Los Angeles. It directly competes with LA Weekly for the same reader use cases and advertiser budgets.
- The Village Voice: The Village Voice is a New York-based alt-weekly covering arts, culture, food, and music. It is a direct comparable to LA Weekly in format, editorial scope, and target audience, and is also owned by Street Media, making them sister publications.
- Austin Chronicle: Austin Chronicle is a Texas alt-weekly providing arts, music, food, and news coverage. It is structurally comparable to LA Weekly as an independent-style alt-weekly serving a major creative-economy metro.
Emerging players
- Eater LA: Eater LA is a digital-native food and restaurant publication focused on Los Angeles dining. It overlaps significantly with LA Weekly's food vertical, competing for both food-vertical readers and restaurant advertisers in the same market.
- LAist: LAist is a digital local news outlet serving Los Angeles with news, arts, and culture coverage. It overlaps with LA Weekly's news and culture verticals and competes for the same digitally engaged LA readership.
Broad incumbents
- New York Magazine: New York Magazine is a major legacy city magazine with deep cultural journalism and a strong digital pivot including Vulture. It is comparable to LA Weekly in category (city-focused cultural journalism) but operates at much larger scale and broader portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Customer concentration
LA Weekly social profiles
Digital presenceLA Weekly financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LA Weekly leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
LA Weekly subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries10 records
LA Weekly funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LA 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 LA Weekly
What does LA Weekly do?
LA Weekly is an alternative weekly newspaper and digital media publication serving the Los Angeles market with comprehensive coverage of arts, culture, food, music, entertainment, and cannabis. Its offerings include a weekly print edition distributed at pickup locations throughout LA, a digital-first website (laweekly.com) attracting over 4 million monthly active users, archived digital E-Editions spanning 2016-2026, and six topic-segmented email newsletters. The publication also sells integrated print, digital, and social media advertising solutions to local and national brands seeking to reach targeted LA audiences.
Is LA Weekly a public or private company?
LA Weekly is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was LA Weekly founded?
LA Weekly was founded in 1978. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is LA Weekly based?
LA Weekly is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does LA Weekly make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are digital Subscriptions/E-Editions.
Who are LA Weekly's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PAPER Magazine, Chicago Reader, The Stranger, Los Angeles Magazine, Time Out Los Angeles, The Village Voice and Austin Chronicle. Emerging players are Eater LA and LAist. New York Magazine is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does LA Weekly have an API?
No public API is recorded for LA Weekly.
What industry is LA Weekly in?
LA Weekly's product category is Local News and Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAN, Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines, with a secondary code of MPAJAEAA, Consumer Lifestyle & Fashion Magazines. Its NAICS code is 51312 and its SIC code is 2721.