WCCO-TV
WCCO-TV is a CBS-owned-and-operated local television station in Minneapolis serving the Twin Cities DMA with local news, NEXT Weather, sports, and community journalism across broadcast, digital, and mobile platforms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1949
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What WCCO-TV does
WCCO-TV is a CBS-owned-and-operated local television station headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul Designated Market Area (DMA), one of the top 15 US television markets, along with Greater Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Founded in 1949, the station delivers breaking local news, weather, sports, and community journalism content, with an editorial portfolio that includes the WCCO Investigates unit and original local programming such as Good Question, Finding Minnesota, Talking Points, and On the Edge. Its core proprietary technology platform is NEXT Weather, a branded forecasting system that combines a dedicated team of meteorologists with a weather radar, the NEXT Weather Tower, and the NEXT Drive feature.
The station's product surface spans traditional over-the-air broadcast television, the cbsnews.com/minnesota/ website, a YouTube channel, iOS and Android mobile applications, a live streaming service, and social media channels on Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, and TikTok. Sports coverage is a major content pillar, with dedicated verticals for the Minnesota Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves, Lynx, Wild, United FC, Aurora FC, and Gophers, plus a High School Sports Rally segment. WCCO-TV is part of CBS Broadcasting Inc., itself a subsidiary of Paramount Global, and operates under the corporate umbrella of CBS News' national structure while maintaining locally produced news for the Twin Cities market.
WCCO-TV's revenue model is advertising-based, with no consumer subscription pricing. Revenue streams include local television commercials, national spot advertising, and digital advertising on its owned-and-operated digital properties, supplemented by content distribution through the CBS network and the Paramount+ streaming platform. The station does not disclose pricing, and no standalone financial figures are available, as its results are consolidated within CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Paramount Global. The customer base is end-viewer households in the Twin Cities (primary) and Greater Minnesota / western Wisconsin (secondary), with no named advertiser or agency relationships disclosed in the available data.
WCCO-TV firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WCCO-TV
- Legal name
- CBS Broadcasting Inc.
- Website
- https://minnesota.cbslocal.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1949
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- WCCO-TV is a CBS-owned-and-operated local television station in Minneapolis serving the Twin Cities DMA with local news, NEXT Weather, sports, and community journalism across broadcast, digital, and mobile platforms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WCCO-TV industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Broadcast Television & Local News
- NAICS
- Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Television Broadcasting Stations (51612)
- 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
Where WCCO-TV is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
WCCO-TV 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
Revenue model
- Advertising Revenue: WCCO-TV generates revenue through television advertising sales, including local commercials, national spot advertising, and digital advertising on its website and streaming platforms. The station also benefits from its affiliation with CBS and Paramount+ content distribution.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
WCCO-TV product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WCCO-TV produces and distributes local news, weather forecasting, sports coverage, and community journalism content to viewers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul DMA, Greater Minnesota, and western Wisconsin. The station delivers programming across over-the-air broadcast television, its website, mobile applications, and social media platforms, with advertising as its primary revenue stream. Its flagship differentiated offering is the NEXT Weather system, which provides dedicated meteorologist-led forecasting and live radar coverage.
Product overview
WCCO-TV is a CBS-owned local television station serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul (Twin Cities) market in Minnesota, operating as part of the CBS News network. The station operates as a local news platform delivering breaking news, weather coverage, and community journalism. The primary offerings include NEXT Weather (WCCO's branded weather forecasting system), original local programming (WCCO Investigates, Good Question, Finding Minnesota, Talking Points, On the Edge), national CBS News programs (48 Hours, 60 Minutes, CBS Evening News, CBS Mornings), and a mobile application for news consumption. The station distributes content across multiple platforms including over-the-air broadcasts, the CBS News App, and social media channels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- NEXT Weather: WCCO's proprietary weather forecasting system and brand featuring a dedicated weather team and radar coverage for the Minneapolis-St. Paul region.
Products and services
- NEXT Weather WCCO-TV's branded weather forecasting system featuring a team of dedicated meteorologists, live radar capabilities, the NEXT Weather Tower, and weather coverage with features including NEXT Drive, serving the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota region.
- WCCO-TV Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android devices providing users with access to local news, weather forecasts, live video streams, weather radar, and breaking news alerts for the Minneapolis-St. Paul market.
- CBS News Minnesota Live Stream Live streaming video service providing continuous coverage including CBS News 24/7, local news updates, and on-demand video content for the Minnesota market.
- Local News Broadcast Over-the-air broadcast television news programming for the Minneapolis-St. Paul DMA covering breaking local news, Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota news, Wisconsin news, politics, crime, health, and community journalism.
- WCCO Investigates Investigative journalism unit producing original investigative reports on local issues affecting the Minneapolis-St. Paul market and Greater Minnesota.
- Minnesota Sports Coverage Comprehensive sports coverage of Minnesota professional teams (Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves, Lynx, Wild, United FC, Aurora FC), University of Minnesota Gophers athletics, and high school sports.
Companies that use WCCO-TV
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
WCCO-TV technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
WCCO-TV partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WCCO-TV competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Tegna: Large operator of local TV stations across US DMAs. Comparable local-news and advertising-driven broadcast business model, though with broader geographic diversification.
- KCBS-TV (CBS Los Angeles): CBS O&O in the #2 US DMA. Comparable local-broadcast operation within the same corporate family as WCCO, including news, weather, and digital content distribution.
- WNBC (CBS New York): Flagship CBS O&O station in the #1 US DMA. Sister station within the Paramount CBS station group, sharing network content, corporate resources, and digital platform infrastructure.
- WBBM-TV (CBS 2 Chicago): Fellow CBS-owned-and-operated station in another major market (Chicago). Operates under the same Paramount CBS O&O umbrella with comparable local-news, weather, and digital platform strategy.
- Sinclair Broadcast Group: Major US TV station group operator with regional sports and local-news assets. Comparable local-broadcast business model and reliance on advertising revenue.
- Nexstar Media Group: Largest US TV station owner with extensive local-news operations across multiple DMAs. Comparable broadcast business model focused on local advertising and network affiliations.
Direct peers
- KMSP-TV (FOX 9): FOX-owned station in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Competes head-to-head with WCCO across local news, weather, and Minnesota sports coverage in the same DMA.
- KARE-TV: NBC affiliate serving the same Minneapolis-St. Paul DMA. Directly competes with WCCO for local news, weather, and sports audiences and advertising revenue in the Twin Cities market.
- KSTP-TV: ABC affiliate in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Direct competitor for local news, weather, and sports viewership and the same pool of regional advertisers as WCCO-TV.
Emerging players
- Minnesota Public Radio (APM): Major regional public-broadcasting competitor in the Twin Cities, providing local news, weather, and talk content. Competes with WCCO for audience attention and undercuts ad-supported news via membership funding.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
WCCO-TV social profiles
Digital presenceWCCO-TV financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WCCO-TV leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
WCCO-TV funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WCCO-TV 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 WCCO-TV
What does WCCO-TV do?
WCCO-TV produces and distributes local news, weather forecasting, sports coverage, and community journalism content to viewers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul DMA, Greater Minnesota, and western Wisconsin. The station delivers programming across over-the-air broadcast television, its website, mobile applications, and social media platforms, with advertising as its primary revenue stream. Its flagship differentiated offering is the NEXT Weather system, which provides dedicated meteorologist-led forecasting and live radar coverage.
Is WCCO-TV a public or private company?
WCCO-TV is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was WCCO-TV founded?
WCCO-TV was founded in 1949. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is WCCO-TV based?
WCCO-TV is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does WCCO-TV make money?
One revenue line is on record: advertising Revenue.
Who are WCCO-TV's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Tegna, KCBS-TV (CBS Los Angeles), WNBC (CBS New York), WBBM-TV (CBS 2 Chicago), Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group. Direct peers are KMSP-TV (FOX 9), KARE-TV and KSTP-TV. Minnesota Public Radio (APM) is listed as an emerging player.
Does WCCO-TV have an API?
No public API is recorded for WCCO-TV.
What industry is WCCO-TV in?
WCCO-TV's product category is Broadcast Television & Local News. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABACAE, Network-Affiliated Local TV Stations (ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX/CW/Telemundo/Univision, etc.), with a secondary code of MPABACAJ, Local News & Weather Stations. Its NAICS code is 516120 and its SIC code is 4833.