What San Bernardino Sun does

San Bernardino Sun is a local newspaper founded in 1894, serving San Bernardino County, the Inland Empire, High Desert, and adjacent Southern California communities. It operates as a digital-first publication at sbsun.com, complemented by an e-Edition digital replica of the print product, traditional print home delivery, and a branded Sun Store for merchandise and photo reprints. The product portfolio also includes Best Reviews (consumer product recommendations), an Events Calendar, classifieds/marketplace listings, and SCNG Premium subscription content. The site is built on the WordPress.com VIP content management system and integrates Trinity Audio for AI-driven article narration and AccuWeather for real-time weather data.

The business is structured as part of Southern California News Group (SCNG), a network of regional Southern California newspapers owned by MediaNews Group / Digital First Media. Revenue is generated through four primary streams: recurring subscriptions (home delivery, digital-only, and e-Edition tiers), digital advertising including display and sponsored/branded content, classified advertising (jobs, real estate, obituaries, marketplace), and a Reader Rewards loyalty program offering photo reprints and student sponsorship access. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer with multiple subscription tiers and a metered paywall separating premium content under the SCNG Premium tag.

Operationally, the entity discloses a 1-10 employee count, suggesting that most corporate, sales, and platform functions are shared across the parent SCNG network rather than housed within the publication itself. No mobile app, no disclosed financials, no M&A history, no funding rounds, no patents, and no public leadership roster are present in the available source material. The company is privately held and operationally active.

Name

San Bernardino Sun

Legal name

San Bernardino Sun

Website

https://sbsun.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1894

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Newspaper Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (51311)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

Keywords

• Local newspaper
• Daily journalism
• News media
• Digital news
• Classified advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

San Bernardino

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: Recurring subscription revenue from print and digital subscriptions including home delivery, digital-only access, and e-Edition subscriptions. Multiple pricing tiers based on access level.
2. Digital Advertising: Display advertising on website and digital properties including banner ads, sponsored content, and branded content opportunities.
3. Classified Advertising: Classified ads including jobs, real estate, obituaries, and marketplace listings.
4. Reader Rewards Program: Loyalty program offering photo reprints, sponsored access, and student sponsorship opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

San Bernardino Sun is a daily local newspaper serving San Bernardino County, California, delivering print and digital news, sports, business, and community coverage since 1894. It operates through its print edition and the sbsun.com website, providing local journalism and advertising solutions for residents and businesses in the Inland Empire region.

Product overview

San Bernardino Sun operates a digital-first newspaper platform offering both its primary news website (sbsun.com) and an e-Edition digital replica of the print publication. The product portfolio includes Best Reviews (consumer product recommendations), an Events Calendar, SCNG Premium subscription content, a Marketplace/Classifieds platform, and Photo Reprints. The news organization also publishes across multiple sections including World Cup coverage, local news, sports teams (Dodgers, Angels, Lakers, Clippers, Sparks, Kings, Ducks, Rams, Chargers), politics, crime, health, environment, business, housing, and transportation. Content is syndicated through the Southern California News Group network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• San Bernardino Sun Daily Print Edition Daily printed newspaper delivered to subscribers covering local news, sports, business, opinion, and community events in San Bernardino County.
• sbsun.com Digital News Website Online news website providing continuously updated local news, sports, and community coverage for San Bernardino County readers.
• Digital Subscription Subscription-based digital access offering unlimited reading of sbsun.com content beyond the metered limit for paying subscribers.
• Classified Advertising Print and online classified ad placements allowing individuals and businesses to advertise jobs, real estate, vehicles, and notices.
• Obituary Notices Paid obituary submission service published in print and online to honor deceased community members.
• E-Edition Digital replica of the printed newspaper accessible to subscribers via web and mobile, mirroring the layout and content of the physical paper.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Southern California News Group (SCNG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company operating network of Southern California newspapers including San Bernardino Sun. Provides shared resources, advertising solutions, content syndication, and corporate operations including Workday job center and Creative Services.
• MediaNews GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company of Southern California News Group providing corporate oversight and brand affiliation for San Bernardino Sun.
• Digital First MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent media company providing digital-first platform and operations support for newspaper network.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Orange County Register: Direct sister publication within the Southern California News Group network, also serving a SoCal local market with print and digital subscription products and shared advertising and back-office infrastructure.
• The Press-Enterprise (Riverside): Inland Empire sister title within SCNG covering neighboring Riverside County; directly comparable operating model, revenue mix, and parent structure to San Bernardino Sun.
• Los Angeles Daily News: SCNG sister publication serving the greater Los Angeles market with overlapping SoCal coverage, identical subscription tiers, and shared corporate operations.
• Pasadena Star-News: Another SCNG network title serving a defined SoCal sub-market; same revenue model (subscription, advertising, e-Edition) and overlapping readership with San Bernardino Sun.
• Long Beach Press-Telegram: SCNG sister title covering Long Beach and surrounding LA County, operating the same digital-first, multi-revenue-stream model with shared newsroom resources.
• Inland Valley Daily Bulletin: SCNG sister publication covering the Inland Valley region adjacent to San Bernardino; same business model, content syndication network, and subscription pricing architecture.
• Victorville Daily Press: Local daily covering the High Desert region that overlaps with San Bernardino Sun's coverage area; comparable subscriber-funded local news model in the same SoCal market.
• Redlands Daily Facts: Hyperlocal daily serving Redlands within San Bernardino County, with overlapping coverage territory and reader base; very comparable scale and digital subscription offering.
• San Gabriel Valley Tribune: SCNG sister title serving the San Gabriel Valley with the same subscription, advertising, and e-Edition product structure; comparable SoCal local newspaper economics.

Broad incumbents

• Los Angeles Times: Larger, broader regional incumbent also covering Southern California with print and digital subscriptions; competes for advertising and audience in the same DMA but with significantly wider geographic scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sbsun
• Facebookfacebook.com/sbsun

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 San Bernardino Sun