What Wdsu does

WDSU is the NBC-affiliated television station (Channel 6) serving the New Orleans, Louisiana market, owned and operated by New Orleans Hearst Television Inc., a subsidiary of Hearst Television within the Hearst Corporation media conglomerate. Founded in 1948 and an NBC affiliate since 1953, the station produces local news, weather, sports, investigative reporting, and community-focused programming from its headquarters at 846 Howard Avenue in New Orleans. Its product portfolio comprises the primary WDSU-TV broadcast channel, a MeTV classic-television secondary sub-channel, an iOS/Android WDSU News mobile application, and the Hearst-operated Very Local streaming platform for live and on-demand content.

The underlying technology consists of conventional broadcast television infrastructure supplemented by digital and streaming distribution channels, including over-the-air transmission, cable/satellite carriage, mobile apps, and proprietary streaming apps. WDSU has filed for an FCC TV translator construction permit in Franklinton, Louisiana, indicating active spectrum and coverage expansion. The station distributes content across web, mobile, and social channels (Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube) and operates email newsletter subscriptions for audience engagement.

WDSU's business model is advertising-driven, monetizing broadcast commercials, digital advertising, and sponsored content across its web, mobile, and streaming surfaces. Audience reach and ad inventory are concentrated within the New Orleans metropolitan DMA, with retransmission consent fees from MVPDs forming an implicit but undisclosed component of revenue. The company is privately held within Hearst Television, which provides shared technology, content partnerships, and cross-station resources across its portfolio of U.S. broadcast stations.

Name

Wdsu

Legal name

New Orleans Hearst Television Inc.

Website

https://wdsu.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

WDSU is the Hearst-owned NBC affiliate (Channel 6) serving the New Orleans DMA, producing local news, weather, sports, and investigative reporting distributed via broadcast, mobile, and the Very Local streaming platform, monetized primarily through advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Television Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

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 industries

Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ), News OTT & Live News Streaming Channels (MPABAHAK)

Keywords

• Local television news
• Broadcast journalism
• Weather forecasting
• News streaming app
• Local sports coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

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, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: WDSU generates revenue primarily through advertising, including broadcast commercials, digital ads, and sponsored content on its website and streaming platforms.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

WDSU is a local television news station (Channel 6) in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the market's NBC affiliate. It delivers local news, weather, sports, investigative reporting, and community content across over-the-air broadcast, a digital sub-channel (MeTV New Orleans), the WDSU News mobile app, and the Very Local streaming platform, serving the New Orleans metropolitan area.

Product overview

WDSU is a local television news station (Channel 6) in New Orleans, Louisiana, operated by Hearst Television. The station offers a portfolio of news products including its main broadcast channel, the MeTV classic programming sub-channel, the WDSU News mobile application for iOS and Android, and the Very Local streaming platform for live and on-demand content. The station provides local news, weather, sports, politics, and entertainment coverage to the greater New Orleans metropolitan area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Very Local: A streaming platform and app offering local news, exclusive original content, and live streaming of WDSU programming.

Products and services

• WDSU-TV Channel 6 Broadcast Over-the-air and cable/satellite television broadcasting of local news, weather, sports, investigative reporting, and entertainment programming for the New Orleans metropolitan area on Channel 6. Targeted at local viewers and advertisers seeking access to the New Orleans audience.
• MeTV New Orleans Classic television programming sub-channel broadcast by WDSU, featuring classic TV shows and additional content for New Orleans-area viewers.
• WDSU News Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android that allows users to access WDSU local news, weather, sports, and video content on demand and via live streaming. Targeted at New Orleans-area consumers wanting mobile access to local news.
• Very Local Streaming App Hearst Television's streaming platform providing local news content, exclusive original programming, and live streaming from WDSU-TV for viewers in the New Orleans market.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple regional Emmy awards, Edward R. Murrow Awards, National Murrow Award, and Walter Cronkite Award for political journalism

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered notable and core.

• Hondo Rodeo FestnotableGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 April 2026WDSU-TV announced a partnership with Hondo Rodeo Fest to serve as the exclusive broadcast partner for the three-night million-dollar rodeo competition at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans (April 10-12, 2026). The event will be broadcast on WDSU's MeTV New Orleans channel and streamed on Hearst's Very Local app, featuring headline concerts by Jason Aldean, Cody Johnson, and Creed. The partnership is intended to expand the event's reach across the New Orleans market.
• Hearst TelevisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWDSU-TV is owned and operated by Hearst Television, part of the Hearst Corporation media conglomerate. Hearst Television operates multiple television stations across the United States and provides shared resources, technology, and content partnerships.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• WVUE-TV (Fox 8 New Orleans): Fox-affiliated local TV station in the New Orleans DMA. Directly competes with WDSU for local news audiences, advertising dollars, and political/issue spend in the same geography.
• WNOL-TV (CW38 New Orleans): CW/MNTV-affiliated local station in New Orleans. Overlaps with WDSU on entertainment, digital, and streaming inventory in the same DMA.
• WGNO (ABC 26 New Orleans): ABC-affiliated local station in New Orleans competing head-to-head with WDSU for the same news viewers and local ad revenue across broadcast and digital.
• WWL-TV (CBS New Orleans): CBS-affiliated local TV station in the New Orleans DMA and a direct in-market competitor for news, weather, and sports audiences as well as local advertiser budgets.

Broad incumbents

• Nexstar Media Group: Largest U.S. broadcaster by revenue, operating hundreds of stations. Highly comparable business model — network-affiliated local TV plus digital — to WDSU's Hearst operation.
• Sinclair Broadcast Group: Largest U.S. TV station operator by station count, with local news and sports content across markets. Directly comparable business model and revenue mix to WDSU at the station level.
• Gray Television: Mid-sized broadcast group with network-affiliated and digital properties. Comparable operating model and audience strategy to WDSU and other Big Four affiliates.
• Tegna: Large U.S. broadcast group operating dozens of network-affiliated stations. Comparable in operating model and ad-sales packaging to WDSU, though at much greater scale.

Others

• Hearst Television: Parent organization of WDSU and operator of more than 30 U.S. TV stations. Provides the shared resources, technology (including Very Local), and content partnerships that WDSU leverages.
• WLBT (NBC Mississippi, Hearst): Sister NBC-affiliated Hearst Television station in Jackson, Mississippi. Operates under the same corporate parent, shared Very Local platform, and similar local newsroom economics as WDSU.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wdsu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/wdsutv
• Facebookfacebook.com/wdsutv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Wdsu