Boulder Weekly
Boulder Weekly is an independently owned free weekly newspaper founded in 1993, distributed at 1,000+ Boulder County locations and reaching 110,000+ adults monthly with local news, arts, food, and opinion content for affluent Colorado readers and advertisers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersBoulder, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Boulder Weekly does
Boulder Weekly is an independently owned weekly newspaper founded in 1993 by Stewart Sallo, serving Boulder County, Colorado. The publication is distributed free every Thursday at more than 1,000 physical locations including grocery stores (Whole Foods, King Soopers, Safeway), restaurants, movie theaters, hotels, and the University of Colorado campus. According to the 2020 Media Audit cited by the company, it reaches 110,309 adults 18+ monthly — more than any other publication in the county — with a demographic profile weighted toward affluent, educated readers (69% college graduates, 60% earning $50K-$150K+ annually).
The core product is a print newspaper complemented by a digital presence at boulderweekly.com, an email newsletter, an archive hosted on Issuu, and recurring special editions including the annual Best of Boulder rankings, voter guides, and seasonal publications such as Summer Scene. Content sections span news, food, music, entertainment, opinion, and a community events calendar. Underlying technology is described as a traditional print and digital news platform with no disclosed proprietary technology, mobile app, API, AI/ML capabilities, or third-party integrations.
Boulder Weekly operates a direct-to-consumer and advertising-based revenue model. The newspaper is free to readers; revenue is generated almost entirely through display and sponsored advertising sold to local businesses and national advertisers targeting Boulder's affluent demographic. The company employs between 11 and 50 staff across editorial, sales, circulation, and creative functions, and maintains its headquarters at 1495 Canyon Boulevard, Boulder. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investment, parent company, subsidiaries, or funding rounds.
Boulder Weekly firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Boulder Weekly
- Legal name
- Boulder Weekly
- Website
- https://boulderweekly.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Boulder Weekly is an independently owned free weekly newspaper founded in 1993, distributed at 1,000+ Boulder County locations and reaching 110,000+ adults monthly with local news, arts, food, and opinion content for affluent Colorado readers and advertisers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Boulder Weekly industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local Newspaper
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (513110), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)
Keywords
Where Boulder Weekly is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boulder
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Boulder Weekly business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Advertising: Display advertising sold to local businesses and national advertisers targeting Boulder County's affluent, educated demographic (18-54 age range, $50,000-$150,000+ income). The paper claims to reach more 18+ adults in Boulder County than any other publication.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Boulder Weekly product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Boulder Weekly publishes a free weekly independent newspaper every Thursday for Boulder County residents, covering local news, government, climate, arts and entertainment, music, food, opinion, and community events. Distribution spans more than 1,000 physical pickup points across Boulder County plus a digital edition via its website and Issuu, complemented by an email newsletter. The publication sells display advertising to local and national businesses seeking access to the county's affluent, educated readership.
Product overview
Boulder Weekly is a single unified product — an independent community newspaper serving Boulder County since 1993. The publication offers comprehensive local journalism across multiple content sections including News, Food, Music/Entertainment, Events, Opinion, and Special Editions. The newspaper is distributed free every Thursday at over 1,000 locations throughout Boulder County, reaching 110,309 adults monthly. The digital platform complements the print publication with an events calendar, newsletter subscription service, and advertising services for local businesses.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Boulder Weekly Newspaper Free weekly independent newspaper distributed every Thursday at more than 1,000 locations across Boulder County for adult readers seeking local news, investigative journalism, arts and entertainment coverage, food reviews, and community event listings.
- Email Newsletter Subscription Free email newsletter providing Boulder Weekly readers with regular updates on breaking local news and featured editorial content from the publication.
- Advertising Services Display advertising placements sold to local businesses and national advertisers seeking access to Boulder County's affluent, educated readership of 110,309 monthly adults, with rates varying by size, placement, and frequency.
- Special Editions & Guides Periodic themed publications including VOTE Guide, Best of Boulder annual rankings, Summer Scene, and seasonal survival guides for Boulder County readers and advertisers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reaches 110,309 adults 18+ in Boulder County each month
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Boulder Weekly
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Boulder Weekly technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Boulder Weekly partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Boulder Weekly competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Colorado Springs Independent: Colorado alt-weekly operating in a different city but with the same free-distribution, advertising-supported, arts-and-news editorial mix — a near-perfect operational peer.
- Willamette Week: Portland, Oregon alt-weekly with an independent-ownership structure and similar mix of investigative journalism, arts, food, and classifieds — a benchmark for how independent alt-weeklies monetize at scale.
- L.A. Weekly: Historic LA alt-weekly that has cycled through ownership changes and format shifts; useful comparable for understanding alt-weekly survival dynamics and digital transition pressure.
- The Austin Chronicle: Long-running Texas alt-weekly with a free distribution, ad-supported model and strong arts/entertainment vertical — structurally and editorially aligned with Boulder Weekly.
- Boulder Daily Camera (Prairie Mountain Media): The legacy daily newspaper in Boulder County, now owned by a hedge-fund-backed chain. Direct competitor for local news readership and advertiser dollars in the same geography.
- Westword: Denver's flagship alt-weekly, covering local news, arts, food, and music with a similar advertiser-supported, free-distribution model. The most direct comparable in the same Colorado media market.
- Seven Days: Independently owned Vermont alt-weekly with free weekly distribution, strong arts coverage, and ad-supported revenue — a comparable independent alt-weekly business model.
- Riverfront Times: St. Louis alt-weekly covering news, food, and music with a free weekly distribution model — directly comparable in format and revenue mechanics.
Broad incumbents
- The Denver Post: Colorado's dominant legacy daily, covering Denver-metro news broadly. Competes with Boulder Weekly for statewide advertiser attention and regional news audience.
Regional players
- Colorado Public Radio / KUNC: Public radio network serving northern Colorado including Boulder County. Competes for local news audience attention and a share of regional civic-journalism mindshare, though in audio rather than print.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Boulder Weekly social profiles
Digital presenceBoulder Weekly financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Boulder Weekly leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Boulder Weekly funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Boulder Weekly 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 Boulder Weekly
What does Boulder Weekly do?
Boulder Weekly publishes a free weekly independent newspaper every Thursday for Boulder County residents, covering local news, government, climate, arts and entertainment, music, food, opinion, and community events. Distribution spans more than 1,000 physical pickup points across Boulder County plus a digital edition via its website and Issuu, complemented by an email newsletter. The publication sells display advertising to local and national businesses seeking access to the county's affluent, educated readership.
Is Boulder Weekly a public or private company?
Boulder Weekly is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Boulder Weekly founded?
Boulder Weekly was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Boulder Weekly based?
Boulder Weekly is headquartered in Boulder, United States, in the North America region.
How does Boulder Weekly make money?
One revenue line is on record: advertising.
Who are Boulder Weekly's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Colorado Springs Independent, Willamette Week, L.A. Weekly, The Austin Chronicle, Boulder Daily Camera (Prairie Mountain Media), Westword, Seven Days and Riverfront Times. The Denver Post is listed as a broad incumbent. Colorado Public Radio / KUNC is listed as a regional player.
Does Boulder Weekly have an API?
No public API is recorded for Boulder Weekly.
What industry is Boulder Weekly in?
Boulder Weekly's product category is Local Newspaper. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAB, Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital). Its NAICS code is 513110.