The Commercial Appeal
The Commercial Appeal is a daily newspaper founded in 1841 that serves Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee through print, web, mobile apps, and eNewspaper, operating as a subsidiary of Gannett Co., Inc. within the USA TODAY Network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1841
- HeadquartersMemphis, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The Commercial Appeal does
The Commercial Appeal is a daily newspaper founded in 1841 that serves Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee, providing local news, sports (Memphis Tigers, Memphis Grizzlies, high school athletics), business coverage, obituaries, public notices, and community information across print and digital formats. It is incorporated in Tennessee, USA, and operates as a subsidiary of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), one of the largest U.S. newspaper publishers, distributing content through the USA TODAY Network. Headcount is reported in the 501–1,000 range, but the publication is not independently publicly traded and does not separately disclose revenue, funding, or financials.
The product portfolio centers on a core print and digital newspaper published at commercialappeal.com, supplemented by an eNewspaper digital replica (user.commercialappeal.com), native iOS and Android mobile applications, email newsletters (breaking news, sports, daily briefings), a self-serve Classifieds/Marketplace platform (jobs, real estate, general classifieds), an obituary placement service, and a Public Notices/Legals advertising product that monetizes statutorily required Tennessee legal notices. The publication also integrates shopping and product-recommendation content via the USA TODAY Network storefront, extending monetization beyond traditional advertising into affiliate commerce. The underlying technology is a digital news publishing platform operated within Gannett's shared infrastructure; no proprietary AI/ML models, patents, or distinctive platform architecture are disclosed in the available data.
The business model combines consumer subscriptions (digital and print), local display advertising (sold through USA Today's advertising platform), statutory public-notice placement fees, obituary service fees, and classifieds/marketplace transactions. The primary customer segment is Memphis metro residents consuming local news and sports, with local advertisers acting as a secondary business-side segment. Marketing and distribution channels span the website, social media (Facebook, X), email newsletters, and cross-promotion through USA TODAY Network properties. The Commercial Appeal does not disclose subscription pricing publicly — quote-based sales — and publishes no partnerships, awards, certifications, or M&A activity at the subsidiary level.
The Commercial Appeal firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Commercial Appeal
- Legal name
- The Commercial Appeal
- Website
- https://commercialappeal.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1841
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- The Commercial Appeal is a daily newspaper founded in 1841 that serves Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee through print, web, mobile apps, and eNewspaper, operating as a subsidiary of Gannett Co., Inc. within the USA TODAY Network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Commercial Appeal industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local Newspaper Publishing
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)
Keywords
Where The Commercial Appeal is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Memphis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The Commercial Appeal business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Commercial Appeal product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Commercial Appeal is a daily local newspaper producing and distributing Memphis-area news, sports (Memphis Tigers, Memphis Grizzlies, high school), business coverage, obituaries, and public notices in print, on its website (commercialappeal.com), in an eNewspaper digital replica edition, via native mobile apps, and through email newsletters. The publication is part of Gannett's USA TODAY Network and also operates an online classifieds marketplace and public notice/legal advertising service.
Product overview
The Commercial Appeal is a daily newspaper operated under the USA TODAY Network and Gannett media conglomerate. The publication offers a portfolio of products including its core print and digital newspaper (covering news, sports, business, and entertainment for Memphis and Shelby County), an eNewspaper digital replica, mobile applications for iOS and Android, email newsletter subscriptions, obituary placement services, public notice/legals advertising, and a classifieds marketplace featuring jobs and real estate listings. The publication also integrates shopping/product recommendations through its parent network.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Memphis Tigers: Sports section covering University of Memphis Tigers athletics including basketball and football programs.
- Obituaries
- Public Notices
Products and services
- The Commercial Appeal (Print & Digital Daily Newspaper) Daily newspaper providing local Memphis-area news, sports (Memphis Tigers, Memphis Grizzlies, high school), business coverage, obituaries, and public notices for subscribers in the Memphis-Shelby County metro area across print and digital editions.
- eNewspaper Digital replica of the printed daily newspaper accessible online, allowing subscribers to read the full newspaper edition digitally.
- Mobile Applications Native mobile applications for iOS and Android devices that allow subscribers to access The Commercial Appeal news content on mobile platforms.
- Email Newsletters Email newsletter subscriptions delivering curated news content directly to subscribers, with topics including breaking news, sports updates, and daily briefings.
- Obituaries Service Obituary placement service allowing families and funeral homes to publish death notices and tributes for deceased individuals in the Memphis area.
- Public Notices / Legals Platform for publishing legal notices, public notices, foreclosure notices, and other legally required announcements as required by Tennessee law.
- Classifieds Marketplace Online classified advertising platform including jobs, real estate, and general classifieds for the Memphis market.
Companies that use The Commercial Appeal
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Commercial Appeal technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Commercial Appeal partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Commercial Appeal competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Commercial Appeal social profiles
Digital presenceThe Commercial Appeal financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Commercial Appeal leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
The Commercial Appeal funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Commercial Appeal M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Commercial Appeal
What does The Commercial Appeal do?
The Commercial Appeal is a daily local newspaper producing and distributing Memphis-area news, sports (Memphis Tigers, Memphis Grizzlies, high school), business coverage, obituaries, and public notices in print, on its website (commercialappeal.com), in an eNewspaper digital replica edition, via native mobile apps, and through email newsletters. The publication is part of Gannett's USA TODAY Network and also operates an online classifieds marketplace and public notice/legal advertising service.
Is The Commercial Appeal a public or private company?
The Commercial Appeal is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was The Commercial Appeal founded?
The Commercial Appeal was founded in 1841. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is The Commercial Appeal based?
The Commercial Appeal is headquartered in Memphis, United States, in the North America region.
Does The Commercial Appeal have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Commercial Appeal.
What industry is The Commercial Appeal in?
The Commercial Appeal's product category is Local Newspaper Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAB, Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital). Its SIC code is 2711.