Nub News

What Nub News does

Nub News Limited is a UK-based, privately held online local news publisher founded in 2018 and headquartered in Crewe, Cheshire. The company operates a network of over 30 town-specific subdomain websites (e.g., crewe.nub.news, warwick.nub.news) covering local news, community events, property, jobs, motors, obituaries, and business directories, with a stated target of expanding to 100+ towns. Its underlying technology is a web-based hyperlocal publishing platform with native iOS and Android applications, town-specific subdomain architecture for localized SEO, and integrations with third-party job aggregation networks (jobg8.com). The platform is regulated by IPSO under the Editors' Code of Practice, and editorial content is produced by a team of NCTJ-trained local editors and journalists based in each market.

Nub News monetizes through a diversified digital local media revenue model: third-party display advertising, job listing fees (standard at £90+VAT per listing with premium options adding editorial and social promotion), tiered monthly supporter subscriptions (£2.99-£9.99/month) offering ad-free reading, one-time donations, and affiliate marketing offers. Its customer base consists primarily of two segments: local community residents consuming free content, and small-to-medium local businesses and employers purchasing advertising, sponsored content, and job postings to reach town-specific audiences. The company's go-to-market is product-led and community-led, relying on organic SEO, free weekly email newsletters, and mobile-first distribution rather than paid acquisition.

The business is founder-led by CEO Karl Hancock (former Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Berenberg Bank) with Managing Director James Smith overseeing editorial. Ownership is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or funding rounds. Operating geographies are exclusively the United Kingdom.

Name

Nub News

Legal name

Nub News Limited

Website

https://nub.news

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nub News operates a UK network of 30+ town-specific hyperlocal online news sites, monetized via display advertising, paid job listings (£90+VAT), and tiered reader subscriptions. It serves local residents and SMB advertisers across English towns with IPSO-regulated editorial content.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hyperlocal Digital News

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (51311), Directory and Mailing List Publishers (513140), Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (51929)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local & City Guide Content Aggregators (MPACAKAJ), Local Search & Business Directories (BPAMAAAE)

Keywords

• Hyperlocal digital news
• Local online newspapers
• Community news publishing
• Local job listings
• Digital display advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

Crewe

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Third-party advertising: Third-party advertisers place display ads on Nub News town sites. Third parties use technology including cookies to collect information and personalize content. Nub News runs display advertising from external brands.
2. Monthly supporter subscriptions: Readers can become monthly supporters at tiered levels (£2.99, £4.99, £9.99 per month or £10, £20, £50 one-time) in exchange for an ad-free experience and community support. The company explicitly states it relies on reader contributions.
3. Job listings: Employers pay £90 + VAT per standard job advert to post vacancies on Nub News town sites. Premium listings include top placement, weekly journalist-written article feature, social media promotion, and newsletter inclusion.
4. Affiliate offers: The sites feature affiliate marketing offers (e.g., travel deals, retail discounts) through third-party affiliate networks, generating commission on referred sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nub News operates a network of online local newspapers for towns across the United Kingdom, publishing hyperlocal news, community stories, events listings, business directories, job postings, property listings, motors, and obituaries. The platform runs 30+ individual town-specific subdomain sites, accessible via mobile-responsive web and dedicated iOS/Android applications, with a stated mission to put "your town in your pocket" by delivering trustworthy local news without clickbait, enforced surveys, or intrusive pop-up advertising.

Product overview

Nub News is a hyperlocal online news platform operating as a single unified product with multiple town-specific sites across the UK. The core platform provides local news, community content, and event information, supplemented by modules including a mobile app, optional subscription (Supporters) tier offering ad-free experience, job posting service (Nub It), business directory (Shop Local), property listings, and motors section. The platform covers over 30 towns, each with its own localized subdomain and dedicated local editors, positioned as a modern digital alternative to traditional local newspapers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nub News Local News Platform Online local news platform providing hyperlocal news, community updates, 'What's On' event listings, local business directories, property listings, jobs, motors, and obituaries for towns across the United Kingdom. Available via mobile-responsive web and dedicated mobile applications.
• Town-Specific News Sites Network of individual hyperlocal news sites for 30+ towns across the UK, including Alsager, Crewe, Chester, Warwick, Leamington, Stockport, Macclesfield, Wells, and others. Each operates as a localized subdomain with local editors covering town-specific news.
• Nub It Job Posting Service

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Patch.com: US-based hyperlocal digital news network covering thousands of towns. Comparable to Nub News in core concept (network of town-specific local news sites with community content and local advertising), though operating at much greater scale and in the US market.
• InYourArea (Reach plc): Reach plc's national hyperlocal community news and information platform covering UK towns. Directly comparable to Nub News in product (local news, jobs, property, community updates), target audience (UK town residents), and business model (free, ad-supported with optional paid features).
• Iliffe Media: Independent family-owned UK regional news group operating local titles and digital properties across multiple English towns. Directly comparable to Nub News in serving hyperlocal UK audiences with a community-news focus.
• The Lincolnite: Independent UK hyperlocal digital news outlet covering Lincoln and surrounding areas. Directly comparable to Nub News as a digitally native, town-focused local news platform monetized through advertising and local commercial services.

Emerging players

• Big Local News: Stanford-based collaborative local news data and reporting initiative supporting hyperlocal journalism in the US. Comparable thematically to Nub News as an alternative model for sustaining local journalism, though structured as a nonprofit data platform rather than a commercial publisher.

Broad incumbents

• National World plc: UK regional and national news publisher (formerly JPIMedia), operating titles across multiple regions and serving both print and digital local audiences. Comparable as a UK local/regional digital news competitor with broader portfolio than Nub News.
• Reach plc: UK's largest national and regional news publisher (formerly Trinity Mirror), operating major regional titles and digital brands. Overlaps with Nub News in UK local news audiences and advertiser base, but operates at vastly greater scale with a national footprint.
• Newsquest Media Group: One of the UK's largest regional news publishers with hundreds of local titles across England and Wales. Comparable to Nub News as a UK local news operator, though much larger scale and serving a traditional local-newspaper model alongside digital.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nub-news-ltd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Nub News