WAAY-TV

What WAAY-TV does

WAAY-TV (branded WAAY 31 News) is a privately held local television station licensed to Alabama TV License Company LLC and currently owned by Allen Media Broadcasting LLC, headquartered at 1000 Monte Sano Blvd in Huntsville, Alabama. Founded in 1965, it operates as the ABC network affiliate for the Huntsville-Decatur designated market area, broadcasting on RF Channel 17 with seven sub-channels (31.1 ABC, 31.2 ION, 31.3 Dabl, 31.4 QVC, 31.5 Heroes & Icons, 31.7 Catchy Comedy, 31.8 MeTVToons) and distributing content digitally via waaytv.com (powered by BLOX CMS), iOS and Android mobile applications, livestream, Local Now streaming, and active social media accounts on Facebook, X, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

Its core product is local news, weather, and sports coverage for Huntsville, Athens/Decatur, Sand Mountain, and the Shoals region, augmented by branded weather products (31 StormTracker, 31 Triple Doppler, 10-Day Forecast, WeatherCall), sports coverage (Big Game Friday Night, Huntsville City Football Club, Rocket City Trash Pandas, SEC on WAAY), and the "Connecting North Alabama" community initiative spanning 12+ counties. The station monetizes primarily through local broadcast television advertising and digital advertising sales to a long tail of regional advertisers, supplemented by a 3% credit card processing fee on advertiser payments; in August 2025, the licensee filed an FCC application to assign the broadcast license to Gray Television Licensee LLC, indicating an impending ownership transition.

Name

WAAY-TV

Legal name

Allen Media Broadcasting LLC

Website

https://waaytv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

WAAY-TV is an ABC-affiliated local television station in Huntsville, Alabama, delivering news, weather, and sports coverage across broadcast sub-channels, streaming, mobile apps, and digital platforms to viewers across North Alabama and Southern Middle Tennessee, monetized through local and digital advertising sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Television Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

News OTT & Live News Streaming Channels (MPABAHAK)

Keywords

• Local broadcast television
• Television advertising sales
• Local news coverage
• Weather broadcasting
• Digital streaming media

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Broadcast Television Advertising: Local broadcast television advertising sales including commercials, sponsored segments, and promotional placements during news programming and other shows.
2. Digital Advertising: Online advertising services including display ads, video ads, and sponsored content on the station's website and digital platforms.
3. Credit Card Processing Fees: The station charges a 3% credit card processing fee to advertisers paying by credit card, effective 7/1/2024.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WAAY-TV is a local ABC-affiliated television station that produces and broadcasts local news, weather, sports, and community programming to North Alabama and southern middle Tennessee via its primary channel (31.1 WAAY/ABC), six additional digital sub-channels, a website, mobile apps, livestream, and email alert services. The station monetizes its audience reach by selling broadcast television advertising and digital advertising packages to local and regional businesses, supported by weather products such as 31 Triple Doppler, 31 StormTracker, 10-Day Forecast, and WeatherCall.

Product overview

WAAY-TV operates as a local television broadcast station serving Huntsville, Alabama and North Alabama. The station offers a multi-platform news and entertainment portfolio consisting of the WAAY 31 News core product delivering local news, weather, and sports coverage; multiple broadcast channel sub-products including ABC affiliation (31.1), ION (31.2), Dabl (31.3), QVC (31.4), Heroes & Icons (31.5), Catchy Comedy (31.7), and MeTVToons (31.8); weather products including 31 Triple Doppler, 31 StormTracker, 10-Day Forecast, and WeatherCall; sports coverage of Big Game Friday Night, Huntsville City Football Club, Rocket City Trash Pandas, and SEC on WAAY; mobile applications for iOS and Android; live streaming and on-demand video services; and community initiatives such as Connecting North Alabama. The station is owned by Allen Media Broadcasting LLC and operated as part of the Gray Television group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WAAY 31 News
• WAAY 31 TV Apps
• Watch Live / Livestream
• Local Now
• WeatherCall
• WAAY 31 News Email Alerts
• 31.1 WAAY/ABC Broadcast Channel
• 31.2 ION Television Broadcast Channel
• 31.3 Dabl Broadcast Channel
• 31.4 QVC Broadcast Channel
• 31.5 Heroes & Icons Broadcast Channel
• 31.7 Catchy Comedy Broadcast Channel
• 31.8 MeTVToons Broadcast Channel
• Broadcast & Digital Advertising Sales

Quantifiable outcome

• Covers 12+ counties in North Alabama with local news and community programming

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gray TelevisioncoreOthers · 26 August 2025Alabama TV License Company, LLC (current licensee of WAAY-TV) filed an application with the FCC on August 26, 2025, for consent to assign its broadcast license to Gray Television Licensee, LLC. This represents an ownership transition for the station.
• Toyota AlabamacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2024WAAY 31 partners with Toyota Alabama during holiday seasons to support local charities through charitable donations and community outreach programs. The partnership involves Toyota presenting donations to Madison County charitable organizations with WAAY 31's involvement in coverage and promotion.
• American Heart AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024WAAY 31 Evening Anchor Marie Waxel represents Alabama as a nominee in the American Heart Association's 2024 Woman of Impact campaign, a national initiative to raise awareness and funds for women's heart health.
• ABC NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWAAY-TV operates as an ABC network affiliate, carrying ABC programming on channel 31.1. This affiliation provides national network content and positions the station within the ABC broadcast ecosystem.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Nexstar Media Group: Largest US local television broadcaster, operating affiliates across major and mid-size DMAs. Comparable in ad-driven economics, network affiliation structure, and multi-channel distribution strategy.
• Sinclair Broadcast Group: Large US local TV station group operating multiple affiliates and sub-channels with network/syndicated programming. Highly comparable business model to WAAY-TV's broadcast and digital ad revenue mix.
• Tegna: Major US local TV station group with affiliated news brands across mid-size markets. Comparable business model centered on local news, broadcast advertising, and digital extensions.
• Gray Television: Top-tier US local broadcast group and pending acquirer of WAAY-TV's license. Comparable as a multi-station operator with similar ad sales, network affiliation, and digital monetization model.

Regional players

• WBRC: Fox-affiliated station in Birmingham; overlaps with WAAY-TV's North Alabama coverage area and competes for regional advertisers targeting the broader Alabama TV market.
• WTVM: ABC-affiliated station in Columbus, GA. Comparable network affiliation, mid-size market local news operations, and multi-channel broadcast footprint outside of WAAY-TV's direct DMA.

Emerging players

• Local Now: Streaming service carried by WAAY-TV that aggregates hyperlocal news, weather, and lifestyle content. Comparable as an OTT/digital extension of the station's local content distribution model.

Direct peers

• Allen Media Broadcasting: Current parent of WAAY-TV and operator of a portfolio of local TV stations nationwide. Directly comparable operating model with shared newsroom, ad sales, and digital infrastructure.
• WHNT-TV: CBS-affiliated local television station serving the same Huntsville-Decatur DMA. Direct head-to-head competitor for local news viewers and regional advertising dollars in North Alabama.
• WZDX: Fox-affiliated local television station in the Huntsville-Decatur market. Competes directly with WAAY-TV for local news audience share and local/regional ad spend in North Alabama.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/waaytv
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/WAAYTV31News
• Facebookfacebook.com/waay31news
• Instagraminstagram.com/waaytv
• TikToktiktok.com/@waaytv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waay-tv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 WAAY-TV