What Katu News does

KATU News is the ABC-affiliated local television station serving the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area and parts of Southwest Washington, operating since the mid-1950s and currently owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group (NASDAQ: SBGI), the largest local-TV broadcaster in the United States. The station delivers local news, weather, sports (Trail Blazers, Timbers, Thorns, Fire, Hillsboro Hops, Cascade), and investigative journalism across multiple distribution surfaces. Its core products include the katu.com news website, iOS and Android mobile applications, the Watch Live streaming channel, the AM Northwest morning program, and a dedicated weather service with radar, cameras, and a hurricane tracker. Distribution is anchored by over-the-air broadcast television and extended through cable/satellite carriage and the NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) digital standard, which enables interactive Broadcast App content and emergency-broadcast resilience independent of internet or cable.

The technical stack combines traditional broadcast infrastructure with ATSC 3.0 digital broadcasting, native mobile apps distributed via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, website live-streaming, and voice integration through Amazon Alexa flash briefings. KATU's editorial operation is organised around a wide set of named verticals — Investigations, Recover Northwest, Homeless Crisis, Wildfire Season, City in Crisis, Project Education, ARC PDX, Spotlight on America, and Beyond the Podium — supporting sponsorable, themed content franchises beyond daily news.

KATU's revenue model is advertising-based: broadcast television ads sold during news, sports, and entertainment programming to local and national advertisers targeting the Portland DMA, with no subscription fees charged to viewers. Content is provided free across all distribution channels. Operational priorities appear to be multi-platform reach maximisation, advertiser-friendly editorial franchises, and integration into Sinclair's national broadcast infrastructure rather than direct subscription monetisation.

Name

Katu News

Legal name

Sinclair Broadcast Group

Website

https://katu.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

KATU News is the ABC-affiliated local television station in Portland, Oregon, owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, delivering local news, weather, sports, and investigative journalism across over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite, NextGen TV, mobile apps, web, and Amazon Alexa to the Portland metro and Southwest Washington audience.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Broadcast Television News

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Local/Regional News Channels (MPABAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local TV Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains) (MPABACAA)

Keywords

• Local news broadcasting
• Television news station
• Weather forecasting
• Investigative journalism
• Sports news coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Television Advertising: KATU generates revenue through broadcast television advertising, including commercials aired during news programming, sports coverage, and entertainment content. The station sells advertising slots to local businesses and national advertisers targeting the Portland metro area audience.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KATU News is an ABC-affiliated local broadcast television station serving the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area and Southwest Washington. The station produces and distributes local news, weather forecasts, sports coverage (Trail Blazers, Timbers, Thorns, Fire, Hillsboro Hops, Cascade), and investigative journalism through over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite carriage, NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) streaming, mobile apps, the katu.com website, and Amazon Alexa flash briefings.

Product overview

KATU News operates as a local television news station in Portland, Oregon, offering a multi-platform news operation. The core product is the KATU News Website and broadcast channel delivering local news, weather, sports, and investigative journalism. Supporting digital products include a mobile news app available on iOS and Android, live streaming capabilities, weather services with radar and forecasting, and NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) broadcasting technology. The station also provides content through Amazon Alexa via flash briefings and offers programming like AM Northwest. KATU is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KATU News Website The primary digital news platform (katu.com) providing local Portland news, weather, sports, investigations, entertainment, and breaking news coverage across multiple content categories to general consumers in the Portland metro area.
• KATU News Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android that delivers local Portland news, weather, sports, and breaking news updates to users on mobile devices.
• NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) Broadcast Next-generation over-the-air television broadcasting service offering improved image quality, theatre-like sound, and interactive Broadcast App features for video-on-demand and live local content, available to viewers with compatible TVs or tuners and an antenna.
• AM Northwest Morning news and lifestyle television program featuring local news, cooking segments, community stories, and entertainment coverage for Portland-area viewers.
• Watch Live Streaming Live streaming of KATU's television broadcast for viewers to watch news programming in real-time online via the website.
• Weather Services Comprehensive weather coverage including current conditions, live radar, weather cameras, ski reports, school and business closings, weather blog, dedicated weather app, and hurricane tracker tailored to the Portland metropolitan area and Pacific Northwest.
• KATU Alexa Flash Briefings Voice-activated news and weather updates delivered through Amazon Echo devices via the KATU Alexa skill, allowing hands-free access to news content multiple times daily.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• La ArepaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 June 2026La Arepa partnered with KATU and Portland Thorns star Deyna Castellanos to host an earthquake relief donation drive for Venezuela earthquake victims. KATU provided coverage and promotion of the initiative.
• Guardian RoofingminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 March 2026Guardian Roofing sponsors the Halo Project Roof Giveaway, a community initiative that partners with KATU to recognize and reward local heroes. KATU provides editorial coverage and promotion for the program while Guardian Roofing provides the actual roof installation services.
• Sinclair Broadcast GroupcoreOthersSinclair Broadcast Group is the parent company and broadcast license holder for KATU. As the nation's largest local TV broadcaster, Sinclair provides national content syndication, operational infrastructure, technical support, and advertising sales resources. KATU operates as an ABC affiliate under Sinclair's portfolio of approximately 300 local stations across 86 markets.
• ABC NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKATU operates as the ABC affiliate in Portland, carrying ABC Network programming including national news, entertainment shows, and sports coverage. This affiliation provides access to national content while KATU focuses on local programming.
• TicketsmarterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTicketsmarter serves as the official ticket marketplace partner for KATU Sports coverage, providing ticket sales integration for sports events including Trail Blazers, Timbers, Thorns, and other Portland teams featured in KATU's sports programming.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Nexstar Media Group: Largest US television broadcaster with a similar portfolio of local ABC/NBC/CBS/Fox affiliates; comparable business model (advertising-funded local broadcast) and competitive overlap across shared national advertisers.
• Sinclair Broadcast Group: Parent company and operator of KATU and approximately 300 US TV stations across 86 markets; relevant as the strategic owner providing national advertising sales, content syndication, and operational infrastructure to KATU.
• Tegna Inc. US broadcast operator running a portfolio of local TV stations (including several ABC/NBC/CBS affiliates) with a comparable ad-driven local news model to KATU's Sinclair operations.
• KOMO-TV (ABC affiliate, Seattle): Sister ABC affiliate serving the Seattle market under Sinclair Broadcast Group; same network, ownership, and operational model as KATU, making it a directly comparable ABC-affiliate broadcast operation in a larger Pacific Northwest market.

Direct peers

• KOIN 6 (CBS affiliate, Portland): The CBS-affiliated local TV station serving the Portland DMA, competing head-to-head with KATU for local news, weather, and sports viewers and for the same advertiser budgets in Oregon/Southwest Washington.
• KPTV Fox 12 (FOX affiliate, Portland): The FOX-owned local broadcast station serving the Portland DMA, competing for the same local news, weather, and sports audience as KATU with overlapping distribution on cable and over-the-air.
• KOPB-TV / Oregon Public Broadcasting: Oregon's public broadcasting network also delivering local news, weather, and public-affairs content in the Portland market; competes for viewer attention and, indirectly, for digital audiences in the same region.
• KGW 8 (NBC affiliate, Portland): The NBC-affiliated local TV station in Portland; directly competes with KATU for ABC/CBS/NBC local news audiences and for ad revenue across the same Portland metro footprint.

Regional players

• KUNP (Univision/UniMás, Portland): Spanish-language broadcast affiliate operating in the Portland market; competes for a slice of local broadcast advertising and a multicultural Portland audience not fully served by KATU's English-language lineup.

Emerging players

• OregonLive / The Oregonian: The Oregon market's leading digital-native local news outlet; competes with KATU for Portland-area breaking news readership, digital ad inventory, and audience attention across web and mobile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/katunews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/KATUNews
• Facebookfacebook.com/katunews
• Instagraminstagram.com/katutv
• TikToktiktok.com/@katunews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/katu-channel-2

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 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 Katu News