WREX-TV

What WREX-TV does

WREX-TV (branded as 13 WREX) is a local broadcast television station headquartered in Rockford, Illinois, serving the Rockford/Stateline designated market area across Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. The station operates as the primary NBC affiliate on channel 13.1, supplemented by four digital sub-channels: 13.2 MeTV Toons, 13.3 MeTV, 13.4 Court TV, and 13.5 True Crime. WREX delivers local news, weather, sports, and NBC network programming to viewers in Winnebago, Boone, Stephenson, Ogle, and Carroll counties in Illinois plus Rock County in Wisconsin. The station is owned by Gray Media Group (NYSE: GTN), having been acquired in 2019 as part of Gray's purchase of Quincy Media; Allen Media Broadcasting provides additional sales, digital, and career-page infrastructure support.

The company's product portfolio centers on multi-platform content distribution, leveraging standard broadcast television technology, the BLOX CMS from TownNews for digital content management, and Mapbox weather tiles for its interactive radar. Beyond over-the-air broadcasting, WREX distributes content via cable and satellite carriage (Comcast/Xfinity, Astound Broadband, DIRECTV, DISH), direct-to-consumer digital streaming through wrex.com (206,000+ indexed pages) and mobile applications on iOS and Android, plus social channels (Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube) and email newsletters. The station produces original programming including 13 Investigates (investigative journalism) and Destination Downtown (local features), and operates dedicated weather services such as the Alert Room, Interactive Radar, Closings & Delays, and severe weather alert systems.

WREX generates revenue primarily through television advertising (local businesses, political advertising, NBC network advertising), digital advertising across its web and mobile properties, subscription carriage fees paid by cable and satellite providers for signal distribution, and event sponsorships for community programming. The station operates on a free over-the-air model with no viewer subscription fees, monetizing audience reach across its five-channel infrastructure and digital footprint. Station-level financials are not publicly disclosed and are consolidated within Gray Media Group's reporting.

Name

WREX-TV

Legal name

Gray Media Group (WREX-TV)

Website

https://wrex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WREX-TV (13 WREX) is a local NBC-affiliated broadcast television station serving the Rockford, Illinois and Stateline market across Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. Owned by Gray Media Group, it operates five digital channels and distributes content via broadcast, cable, satellite, streaming, and mobile apps.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Broadcast Television

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Sports Broadcast Stations (Regional Local Rights, High School/College) (MPABACAK)

Keywords

• Local broadcast television
• NBC affiliate station
• Local news coverage
• Weather forecasting service
• Regional sports broadcasting

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Television Advertising: Local and national advertising revenue from broadcast television commercials, including local businesses, political advertising during election cycles, and NBC network advertising. The station covers Winnebago, Boone, Stephenson, Ogle, and Carroll counties in Illinois plus Rock County in Wisconsin.
2. Digital Advertising: Website banner advertising, sponsored content, and digital marketing services offered to local businesses through the station's digital platforms.
3. Subscription Carriage Fees: Fees received from cable and satellite providers (Comcast, DIRECTV, DISH, etc.) for carriage of the station's signal and sub-channels.
4. Event Sponsorships: Sponsorships for community events, contests, and special programming coverage including weather events, local sports coverage, and seasonal features.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WREX-TV (branded as 13 WREX) is an NBC-affiliated local broadcast television station serving the Rockford, Illinois / Stateline market (Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin). The station operates five digital sub-channels (13.1 NBC, 13.2 MeTV Toons, 13.3 MeTV, 13.4 Court TV, 13.5 True Crime) and delivers local news, weather forecasting, sports coverage, investigative journalism (13 Investigates), and community-focused original programming. Content is distributed over-the-air, via cable/satellite carriage, and through digital platforms including wrex.com, mobile apps, and live streaming.

Product overview

13 WREX is a multi-platform local media company serving Rockford, Illinois and the surrounding Stateline area. The station operates as an NBC affiliate (channel 13.1) with four additional sub-channels (13.2 MeTV Toons, 13.3 MeTV, 13.4 Court TV, 13.5 True Crime). The product portfolio centers on the 13 WREX main news station supported by mobile applications (13 WREX Apps), original programming (13 WREX Originals including 13 Investigates and Destination Downtown), weather services (Interactive Radar, Alert Room, Forecast), live streaming capabilities (Watch/Livestream), on-demand video content (Video/On Demand), and email newsletter services. The company distributes content across broadcast television, mobile apps, web platforms, and email channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 13 WREX Broadcast Channels NBC-affiliated local broadcast station operating on channel 13.1 (NBC) with four digital sub-channels: 13.2 MeTV Toons, 13.3 MeTV, 13.4 Court TV, and 13.5 True Crime. Delivers local news, weather, sports, and NBC network programming to viewers in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.
• 13 WREX Mobile Apps Mobile applications for iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play) devices providing on-the-go access to local news, weather alerts, live streaming, and video content for WREX viewers.
• 13 WREX Live Stream Live streaming of the main broadcast channel (13.1 NBC) and access to multiple sub-channels including MeTV Toons, MeTV, Court TV, and True Crime Network via wrex.com and the NBC digital platform.
• 13 WREX Originals Proprietary local programming including 13 Investigates (investigative journalism unit) and Destination Downtown (local feature series), along with other original report content focused on the Stateline area.
• 13 WREX Weather Services Comprehensive local weather coverage including Interactive Radar, Alert Room, Forecast & Outlook, Map Room, Closings & Delays, Weather Wise educational content, and severe weather alert notifications. Provides storm tracking, heat warnings, and community safety information.
• 13 WREX Email Newsletter Email alert subscription service delivering breaking news, latest headlines, and morning and afternoon weather forecasts to subscriber inboxes.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NBC (National Broadcasting Company)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary network affiliation. WREX carries NBC's national programming including NFL Sunday Night Football, Olympics coverage, network dramas and comedies, and TODAY show. In return, NBC provides local station with network branding, promotional support, and access to national news content.
• MeTV (Memorial Television)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSub-channel 13.3 carries MeTV classic television programming including perennial favorites like M*A*S*H, The Andy Griffith Show, and Perry Mason. Provides additional programming to fill broadcast day with classic entertainment content.
• Gray TelevisioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParent company providing operational infrastructure, sales support, digital technology, and corporate resources. Gray Television is one of the largest television broadcasting companies in the U.S. with portfolios in multiple markets.
• Allen Media BroadcastingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOwnership group that acquired WREX-TV as part of a larger broadcast portfolio. Provides strategic direction, advertising sales infrastructure, and digital platform support.
• MetvtoonsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSub-channel 13.2 carries MeTV Toons animation programming targeting younger audiences and animation enthusiasts with classic cartoon content.
• Court TVminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSub-channel 13.4 provides live and archived courtroom coverage, true crime documentaries, and legal analysis programming.
• True Crime NetworkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSub-channel 13.5 delivers true crime investigative programming, crime documentaries, and mystery series.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WQRF-TV: WQRF is the Fox affiliate sharing the Rockford/Stateline DMA with WREX. Owned by Nexstar, it represents the fourth major-network competitor in the same market, directly contesting viewers and ad dollars.
• WIFR-TV: WIFR is the CBS affiliate serving the same Rockford, Illinois DMA (market #135). It competes head-to-head with WREX for local news viewers, political advertising, and regional sports coverage, making it the most directly comparable peer in identical geography and market size.
• WTVO-TV: WTVO is the ABC affiliate also serving the Rockford/Stateline market. As a same-DMA competitor, it competes for local advertisers, breaking news audiences, and weather coverage in identical geography — a tightly comparable peer across news, sales, and distribution.
• WHO-TV (NBC, Des Moines): WHO is the NBC affiliate in Des Moines, Iowa — a peer mid-market Big Four affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group. Both stations operate as flagship NBC affiliates in mid-sized Midwest markets with comparable newsroom scale, weather operations, and agricultural/state capital coverage.
• WMTV (NBC, Madison): WMTV is the NBC affiliate in Madison, Wisconsin — geographically adjacent to WREX's Stateline coverage area. Both serve similar mid-sized Midwest markets with shared weather patterns, high school and Big Ten sports coverage, and statewide political news cycles.

Broad incumbents

• Gray Television (NYSE: GTN): Gray is the parent company of WREX and one of the largest US broadcast groups with stations in more than 100 markets. As a broad incumbent, it provides the operational, sales, and technology infrastructure that defines WREX's operating economics.
• Sinclair Broadcast Group: Sinclair is one of the largest US broadcast groups with hundreds of stations across multiple markets. As a peer operator of mid-market network affiliates and duopolies, Sinclair's market positioning and operational model closely parallel WREX's category.
• Tegna Inc. Tegna is a major US broadcast group operating network affiliates across mid-sized markets with a strong digital/local advertising focus. Its station-level economics and digital ad strategy closely mirror WREX's omnichannel approach.
• WMAQ-TV (NBC, Chicago): WMAQ is the NBC owned-and-operated station in Chicago and the largest NBC affiliate in Illinois. It competes with WREX for spillover Chicago-area viewership in the southern portions of the Rockford DMA and offers a benchmark for NBC network economics.
• Nexstar Media Group: Nexstar is the largest US television broadcaster, owning stations including WIFR and WHO-TV (both direct WREX competitors). It represents the dominant broad incumbent in local broadcasting and sets competitive benchmarks for station-level economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/13WREX
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCN_oh567SXiaFbYhr6DZFwg
• Facebookfacebook.com/wrex-tv-117410107174
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wrex-tv
• Instagraminstagram.com/13wrex

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 WREX-TV