What The Wichita Eagle does

The Wichita Eagle is the largest daily newspaper in Kansas, serving Wichita and the surrounding region through both a print edition and the Kansas.com digital platform. Founded in 1872 and headquartered in Wichita, the company operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of McClatchy, a privately held media conglomerate headquartered in Sacramento, California. Its editorial coverage spans local news, crime and courts, weather, politics, sports (including Wichita State, K-State, KU, the Chiefs, and the Royals), business, dining, and obituaries, supported by an 11-newsletter portfolio, iOS/Android mobile applications, an e-edition digital publication, and sub-brands including Reality Check (fact-checking), Uniquely (local interest series), and Best Of Wichita (community awards).

The underlying product is a multi-channel local news and information service: a CMS-driven website at kansas.com, a digital daily edition, push and email distribution via newsletters and mobile apps, and a print newspaper delivered via subscription. Auxiliary products include a Games & Puzzles entertainment vertical (hosted on a third-party Arkadium platform), searchable public-record databases (arrests, bankruptcies, restaurant inspections), and partner content from Us Weekly, The Street, and Bargain Hunter sourced through the McClatchy network. The historical archive is distributed via newspapers.com.

The business model is a hybrid of consumer subscription, advertising, and transaction fees. Consumer revenue is generated through monthly ($15.99/month after a $1.99 first-month trial) and annual ($159.99/year) digital subscriptions that auto-renew, plus annual print home delivery subscriptions. Advertising revenue is sourced from display, sponsored content, political/advocacy, and recruitment campaigns, supplemented by classifieds marketplace transactions (job postings, obituaries, legal notices, celebrations). Distribution is primarily self-serve via kansas.com, with inside sales for enterprise advertisers and national campaigns routed through the McClatchy advertising network. Customer service is delivered by phone and chat, indicating a transactional support model appropriate to a high-volume, low-ticket subscriber base.

Name

The Wichita Eagle

Legal name

The Wichita Eagle

Website

https://kansas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1872

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Wichita Eagle is the largest newspaper in Kansas, operating a print daily and the Kansas.com digital platform to deliver local news, sports, weather, business, dining, and obituaries to Wichita-area residents and advertisers under McClatchy ownership.

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)

akta.pro secondary industry

News & Content Aggregation Portals (BPAMAAAI)

Keywords

• Local newspaper
• Digital news
• Print subscriptions
• Classified advertising
• News media

Headquarters

HQ city

Wichita

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. Digital Subscriptions: Monthly and annual digital subscriptions providing unlimited access to website content, e-edition, mobile apps, and exclusive digital content. Subscriptions auto-renew at prevailing rates.
2. Print Subscriptions: Home delivery subscriptions for print newspaper, with print offers available through a separate checkout system.
3. Advertising Revenue: Display advertising, sponsored content, and targeted advertising across website, mobile app, and print editions. Multiple advertising options including political/advocacy advertising.
4. Classifieds Marketplace: Classified advertising including job postings, obituaries, legal notices, celebration ads, and general classified listings. Dedicated platforms for recruitment and obituaries.
5. Specialty Content Partnerships: Partnership content including Us Weekly, The Street (financial news), Bargain Hunter deals content, and syndicated national news. Revenue from content licensing arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Wichita Eagle is the largest newspaper in Kansas, delivering daily local journalism across print and digital channels (Kansas.com). Its core offerings include a print home-delivery newspaper, a digital subscription providing unlimited website, mobile app, and e-edition access, and daily email newsletters. The company also monetizes through display and classified advertising on its digital properties and in print.

Product overview

The Wichita Eagle is a traditional news media organization offering a multi-platform news service consisting of its print newspaper (the largest in Kansas), its digital website Kansas.com, and the Edition digital news destination. The core products are complemented by email newsletter subscriptions, interactive games and puzzles, weather news coverage, and mobile applications. The company generates revenue through digital and print subscriptions, advertising, and classified listings. The digital subscription ($1.99 first month, then $15.99/month; or $159.99/year) provides unlimited access to website content, the Edition, and mobile apps.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Reality Check: Editorial fact-checking and accountability journalism initiative
• Uniquely
• Best Of Wichita

Products and services

• The Wichita Eagle Print Newspaper & Kansas.com Core newspaper and flagship digital news website serving Wichita and surrounding Kansas with local news, sports, business, entertainment, weather, dining, and obituaries content.
• Digital Subscription Monthly ($15.99/month after $1.99 first-month promo) or annual ($159.99/year) subscription providing unlimited access to website content, e-edition, mobile apps, and exclusive digital content for individual readers.
• Print Home Delivery Subscription

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• McClatchycoreOthersParent company of The Wichita Eagle. McClatchy is one of the nation's leading media companies headquartered in Sacramento, California. The Wichita Eagle operates as part of the McClatchy Media Network, sharing resources, advertising networks, and content partnerships across the network.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Kansas City Star: Direct McClatchy sister publication covering the Kansas City metropolitan area. Highly comparable business model, technology stack, subscription pricing, and parent-level advertising network integration.
• The Sacramento Bee: McClatchy flagship newspaper serving California's capital region. Closely analogous regional daily with digital subscription model, classifieds marketplace, and newsletter portfolio under the same corporate infrastructure.
• The Miami Herald: Major McClatchy regional daily serving the South Florida market. Comparable scale, multi-product digital ecosystem, and revenue mix spanning subscriptions, advertising, and classifieds.
• The Raleigh News & Observer: McClatchy-owned regional daily covering the Raleigh-Durham market. Directly comparable digital subscription, e-edition, and newsletter offerings, with similar advertiser base of local businesses and political advertisers.
• The Fort Worth Star-Telegram: McClatchy regional daily covering the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Comparable business model and product mix including digital subscriptions, classifieds, and local newsletter offerings.
• The Idaho Statesman: McClatchy regional daily serving Boise, Idaho. Similar mid-sized market positioning, state-level digital audience dominance, and diversified subscription/advertising revenue model.
• The Olympian: McClatchy regional daily based in Olympia, Washington. Comparable regional newspaper business model with digital subscription, e-edition, and community-focused content verticals.
• The Belleville News-Democrat: McClatchy regional daily covering the Belleville, Illinois/St. Louis metro area. Directly comparable in scale, digital subscription pricing, and multi-product news ecosystem.
• The Bellingham Herald: McClatchy-owned regional daily serving Whatcom County, Washington. Comparable community newspaper model with digital subscriptions, classifieds, and McClatchy network ad sales.

Emerging players

• Patch Media: Digital-first local news network covering thousands of U.S. communities. Emerging competitor in the hyperlocal news category, competing for digital ad budgets and reader attention in Wichita and adjacent Kansas markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kansasdotcom
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheWichitaEagle
• Facebookfacebook.com/wichitaeagle
• Instagraminstagram.com/wichitaeagle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-wichita-eagle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Wichita Eagle