Traverse City Record-Eagle

What Traverse City Record-Eagle does

The Traverse City Record-Eagle is a local newspaper serving Traverse City and the surrounding northern Michigan region, in continuous operation since 1906. It is operated as a property of CNHI LLC, a diversified U.S. media conglomerate, and publishes across print, web, mobile, and email channels covering local news, state and national news, sports, opinion, lifestyle, obituaries, classifieds, and weather for its defined geographic market.

Its core product is the record-eagle.com news website, supplemented by a digital e-paper replica, native iOS and Android mobile applications, and Constant Contact-powered email newsletters. Supporting the publishing operation are an online marketplace for jobs, homes, and transportation; a dedicated obituaries portal; a community photo service; local weather forecasts; and a puzzles and games portal hosted on the CNHI games platform. The underlying technology platform is the BLOX Content Management System from BLOX Digital, providing integrated editorial, advertising, and subscriber management — a standard multi-tenant CMS used across the CNHI portfolio rather than proprietary infrastructure. Specialized branded sub-publications (Grand Traverse Scene, Cherry Festival coverage, Leaders of Northern MI, Senior Shout Out, Simply the Best) extend the product line into niche community content.

The business model combines three revenue streams: recurring consumer subscriptions (digital-only and bundled print+digital tiers), local display and classified advertising, and government-mandated legal public-notice publication as the newspaper of record. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through subscriptions, with a small B2B/government layer for advertising and notices. The customer base is geographically segmented into northern Michigan residents (primary) and local businesses plus municipal/government entities (secondary), with no concentration in any individual account. The company is privately held under the CNHI corporate umbrella; revenue is not publicly disclosed and headcount is reported at 1-10 employees.

Name

Traverse City Record-Eagle

Legal name

CNHI LLC

Website

https://record-eagle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Traverse City Record-Eagle is a local newspaper serving Traverse City and northern Michigan since 1906, owned by CNHI LLC. It distributes local news, sports, and obituaries via print, website, e-paper, mobile apps, and newsletters, monetized through subscriptions, local advertising, and legal public notices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Newspaper Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Local newspaper publishing
• Digital news subscriptions
• Classified advertising marketplace
• Public notice publications
• Community news coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Traverse City

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. Subscription Revenue: Print and digital subscription services for individual readers, including e-paper access and mobile app content
2. Advertising: Display advertising, classified ads, and public notices for local businesses and individuals
3. Classifieds and Marketplace: Job listings, real estate, transportation, and other classified advertisements through the marketplace platform
4. Public Notices: Legal and public notice publications as required by law

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Traverse City Record-Eagle publishes local news, sports, business, lifestyle, opinion, and obituary content for Traverse City and northern Michigan through a daily print newspaper and a digital-first platform. Core deliverables are the record-eagle.com website, an E-Paper digital replica, iOS and Android mobile applications, email newsletters, and a classifieds marketplace for jobs, real estate, transportation, and legal public notices.

Product overview

Traverse City Record-Eagle operates as a local newspaper with a digital-first distribution model. The core product is the record-eagle.com news website, supplemented by the E-Paper digital edition, mobile applications for iOS and Android, and email newsletters. The portfolio includes complementary services such as Marketplace (classifieds for jobs, homes, transportation), Obituaries, Photos, Weather, and Puzzles & Games. Specialty content is delivered through sub-brands including Grand Traverse Scene, Cherry Festival, Senior Shout Out, and Leaders of Northern MI. Revenue streams include subscriptions, advertising, and the Report for America journalism funding program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Record-Eagle.com (News Website) Primary online news platform offering local, state, and national news, sports, business, lifestyle, opinion, obituaries, and community coverage for the Traverse City and northern Michigan region, with user accounts, newsletters, and subscription management.
• E-Paper (Digital Edition) Online digital replica of the print newspaper that lets subscribers read the full print edition electronically.
• Mobile Applications Dedicated iOS and Android applications that provide mobile access to Record-Eagle news content, push notifications, and on-the-go reading for subscribers.
• Email Newsletter Service Email-based news digest service that delivers curated stories and breaking news updates to opted-in subscribers.
• Marketplace (Classifieds) Online classifieds marketplace where individuals and businesses post listings across jobs, homes for sale, transportation, and public notices, and buyers and sellers connect.
• Obituaries Service Dedicated obituary listings and submission portal where community members publish and search obituary notices.
• Photos Service Photography gallery and photo purchase service where readers can view and purchase news and community photography.
• Puzzles & Games Online casual games platform offering Sudoku, Jigsaw, Mahjongg Solitaire, Crossword, Classic Solitaire, and Word Wipe puzzles to readers.
• Newspaper Ads Platform Online advertising marketplace for placing classified and display advertisements, with brand directories and featured ad placement options for advertisers.
• Special Sections Publications Specialty curated publications including Grand Traverse Scene, Cherry Festival coverage, Senior Shout Out, Simply the Best, and Leaders of Northern MI.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Lee Enterprises: Major U.S. newspaper chain operating community dailies across the Midwest and beyond. Directly comparable as a multi-property local newspaper operator navigating print decline and digital subscription growth — a public-market proxy for the CNHI portfolio model.
• MLive: Gannett-owned statewide Michigan digital news platform covering Traverse City and other Michigan markets. Competes for digital audience and advertising spend across the same Michigan geography at much larger scale.
• The Detroit News: Major Michigan metropolitan daily. Competes with the Record-Eagle for state-level political, business, and sports advertising, and serves overlapping Michigan readers — comparable Michigan-market newspaper though at much larger scale.
• The Grand Rapids Press: Major Michigan regional newspaper (Gannett/MLive network). Operates in the same Michigan media ecosystem with broader reach and substantially greater resources, competing for statewide and regional ad budgets.
• Gannett: Largest U.S. newspaper chain (USA Today Network) operating hundreds of community dailies. Comparable as a portfolio operator of small-market local newspapers with similar subscription, advertising, and digital transition challenges.

Direct peers

• Petoskey News-Review: A community newspaper serving Petoskey and northern Michigan, also owned by CNHI LLC. Directly comparable as a CNHI sister property covering a similar northern Michigan geography with the same multi-channel digital + print model.
• Ludington Daily News: Daily newspaper serving Ludington on Michigan's western lakeshore. Similar small-city Michigan community paper with print + digital subscriptions, classifieds, and public-notice revenue — directly comparable in scale and operating model.
• Cadillac News: Local newspaper serving Cadillac, Michigan — an adjacent northern Michigan market with overlapping geographic coverage. Comparable as a small-market Michigan community daily competing for the same regional advertising and subscriber base.
• Northern Express: Free weekly newspaper covering Traverse City and northern Michigan. Directly competes with the Record-Eagle for local advertising dollars and reader attention in the same geographic market.

Emerging players

• Bridge Michigan: Michigan-focused nonprofit digital news outlet. Comparable as a Michigan local-news provider targeting engaged readers with a digital-first model, increasingly competing for the same local journalism audience and donor/subscription dollars.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tcrecordeagle
• Instagraminstagram.com/recordeagletc
• Xx.com/TCREsports
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/traverse-city-record-eagle

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 Traverse City Record-Eagle