What WSMV Digital Media does

WSMV Digital Media, operating as WSMV-TV Channel 4, is a local broadcast television station headquartered at 5700 Knob Road, Nashville, Tennessee, serving the Nashville metropolitan area and broader Middle Tennessee region. Founded in 1950 and celebrating 75 years of continuous broadcasting in 2024, the station is owned by Gray Local Media, Inc., a subsidiary of the publicly traded broadcast group Gray Television, Inc. (NYSE: GTN). Its core product portfolio centers on local news (WSMV News), the First Alert Weather forecasting and severe-weather alert system, the WSMV4 Investigates investigative journalism unit, and the TN Valley Sports Network covering local high school and Tennessee sports. Supporting products include daily news programs (Today in Nashville, TN In Ten), community engagement features (We the People, Surprise Squad), an interactive Crime Map, iOS/Android mobile applications, live and on-demand streaming across connected-TV platforms (Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV), and NEXTGEN TV (ATSC 3.0) advanced broadcasting.

The station's technical architecture combines traditional over-the-air ATSC broadcast (Channel 4) with cable and satellite carriage, connected-TV/OTT apps, the wsmv.com web property, mobile applications, email newsletters, and social channels, creating a multi-platform distribution surface for both content and advertising inventory. NEXTGEN TV (ATSC 3.0) adds enhanced digital signal capabilities and interactive features for compatible receivers.

WSMV's revenue model is advertising across three streams: (1) television advertising — sold by its in-house sales force as negotiated, quote-based commercial time and branded content across news, weather, sports, and entertainment programming, typically structured as multi-year advertiser contracts; (2) digital advertising — display, sponsored content, and targeted marketing on wsmv.com and mobile apps; and (3) streaming/OTT advertising inventory monetized via connected-TV and streaming app distribution. The station also offers digital marketing services through gdmnashville.com, extending beyond traditional media buying into managed marketing solutions for local advertisers. Pricing is opaque and not publicly disclosed; sales are handled through a direct field-sales motion targeting local and regional SMB advertisers supplemented by national advertising buys. Operationally, WSMV benefits from Gray Television's corporate resources, syndicated programming, technology infrastructure, and shared advertising-sales support, while retaining local-market editorial and production autonomy.

Name

WSMV Digital Media

Legal name

Gray Local Media, Inc.

Website

https://wsmv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

WSMV Digital Media operates WSMV-TV Channel 4, a local broadcast television station serving the Nashville and Middle Tennessee market with news, weather, sports, and community programming distributed via over-the-air, cable, streaming apps, and digital platforms, monetized primarily through advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Broadcast Television

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Network-Affiliated Local TV Stations (ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX/CW/Telemundo/Univision, etc.) (MPABACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ)

Keywords

• Local broadcast television
• Local news programming
• Regional advertising sales
• Digital advertising platform
• NEXTGEN TV broadcasting

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Television Advertising: WSMV sells advertising time during news broadcasts, weather segments, sports programming, and other shows. Local businesses and national advertisers purchase commercial spots and branded content placements.
2. Digital Advertising: The station generates revenue through digital advertising on its website and mobile applications, including display ads, sponsored content, and targeted marketing solutions.
3. Streaming/Over-the-Top Services: Distribution through streaming platforms and connected TV apps provides additional advertising inventory and viewer reach.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WSMV Digital Media operates WSMV-TV (Channel 4), a local Nashville broadcast television station delivering local news, weather, sports, and investigative journalism content. The station monetizes its audience reach by selling advertising time on broadcast television, digital platforms, streaming apps, and connected TV to local, regional, and national advertisers. Its operations span over-the-air broadcasting (including NEXTGEN TV/ATSC 3.0), cable/satellite carriage, streaming applications, website, and mobile apps.

Product overview

WSMV Digital Media operates as a local television news station (WSMV-TV, Channel 4) serving the Nashville, Tennessee market under Gray Local Media ownership. The station offers a unified product portfolio centered on local news broadcasting with its core offerings including WSMV News for primary news coverage, First Alert Weather for weather forecasting and severe weather alerts, and WSMV4 Investigates for investigative journalism. Supporting features include TN Valley Sports Network for sports coverage, live streaming capabilities, mobile applications, interactive Crime Map, and various community programs like Surprise Squad, Today in Nashville, and TN In Ten. The station also supports NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) technology for enhanced broadcast capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WSMV News Primary local news coverage for the Nashville, Tennessee market including breaking news, local stories, and community reporting delivered across broadcast television, website, mobile apps, and streaming platforms.
• First Alert Weather Weather forecasting and alert system providing severe weather coverage, forecasts, radar maps, weather cams, and interactive radar for Middle Tennessee viewers.
• WSMV4 Investigates Investigative journalism unit producing in-depth investigative reports and documentaries on local issues affecting the Nashville and Middle Tennessee area.
• TN Valley Sports Network Local sports coverage network providing sports news, high school sports coverage including Touchdown Friday Night and 30 Days 30 Vols, and Tennessee Titans coverage with scoreboard.
• Watch Live / Livestream Live broadcast streaming service allowing viewers to watch WSMV content in real-time online via website and connected TV applications.
• WSMV Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android devices providing news alerts, weather updates, and live streaming content to Middle Tennessee viewers on mobile devices.
• Today in Nashville Daily news and lifestyle program covering events, stories, and community happenings in Nashville and the surrounding region.
• TN In Ten Tennessee-focused news segment providing daily state news updates in a compact format for viewers across the state.
• Surprise Squad Community surprise program featuring acts of kindness and community support stories highlighting local heroes and community members.
• We the People Community engagement platform allowing citizen submissions on civic matters and engagement with local government and community issues.
• NEXTGEN TV (ATSC 3.0) Next-generation broadcast television technology providing enhanced digital signals, improved reception, and advanced interactive features for compatible televisions in the Nashville market.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Gray Television (Parent Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSMV is owned and operated by Gray Television/Gray Local Media, Inc. The station operates as part of Gray Television's network of local television stations across the United States. Gray Television provides corporate resources, technology infrastructure, advertising sales support, and content sharing arrangements across its station group.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• WATE-TV: NBC-affiliated local broadcast station serving Knoxville/East Tennessee — comparable in network affiliation, format, and content mix but operating in a different Tennessee DMA.
• WVLT (News 8): CBS-affiliated local broadcast station in Knoxville, Tennessee — a Tennessee-market peer offering comparable local news and advertising products but serving a separate geographic DMA from WSMV.

Direct peers

• WXIA-TV (11Alive): NBC-affiliated local broadcast station in Atlanta owned by Tegna — directly comparable as a top-market NBC affiliate with similar news, weather, and digital distribution model.
• WKRN-TV (News 2): ABC-affiliated local broadcast station in Nashville (DMA #29), competing head-to-head with WSMV for local news, weather, sports audience and advertising dollars in the same Middle Tennessee market.
• WZTV (FOX 17): FOX-affiliated local broadcast station in Nashville, offering overlapping local news, weather, and sports coverage that directly competes with WSMV for advertisers and viewers in Middle Tennessee.
• WMC-TV (Action News 5): NBC-affiliated local broadcast station in Memphis, owned by Gray Television (sister station to WSMV) — same network affiliation, same ownership, and a highly comparable local broadcast operating model.
• WFLA-TV (News Channel 8): NBC-affiliated local broadcast station in Tampa Bay owned by Nexstar Media Group — closely comparable top-market NBC affiliate with the same network, audience targeting, and advertising products.
• WTVF (NewsChannel 5): CBS-affiliated local broadcast station in Nashville, directly competing with WSMV for local advertising and viewership in the Middle Tennessee market under common ownership by The E.W. Scripps Company.

Broad incumbents

• Nexstar Media Group: Largest U.S. local TV station operator and owner of WSMV's direct Nashville competitor (WKRN); competes for regional advertising budgets, network affiliation agreements, and syndicated programming at the group level.
• Gray Television, Inc. WSMV's parent company and one of the largest U.S. local broadcast groups; a relevant benchmark for station-level economics, capital allocation, and group-level strategic positioning even though WSMV itself is fully consolidated within Gray.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WSMV
• Facebookfacebook.com/wsmvtv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wsmv

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 WSMV Digital Media