Hearst Television Inc.

Name

Hearst Television Inc.

Legal name

Hearst Communications, Inc.

Website

https://hearsttelevision.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Broadcast Television

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), 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), Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

National Broadcast News Networks (MPABAAAB)

Keywords

• Broadcast television stations
• Local news programming
• Television advertising sales
• Streaming media services
• Original content production

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Television Advertising Sales: Local and national advertising sales across 35 television stations and 2 radio stations, including linear TV inventory, digital ad products, and streaming ad placements.
2. Retransmission Consent: Fees paid by cable and satellite operators for the right to broadcast Hearst Television stations, part of retransmission consent transactions.
3. Network Affiliation Fees: Programming agreements and affiliation fees with major networks including ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, MyNet, Estrella, and MeTV.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hearst Television Inc. operates a national multimedia platform comprising 35 television stations and 2 radio stations across 27 U.S. media markets and 39 states, reaching 24 million U.S. television households. It delivers local and national news, weather, sports, and entertainment programming via broadcast, streaming, and digital channels, monetizing through advertising sales, retransmission consent fees, and original programming production.

Product overview

Hearst Television Inc. is a national multimedia company operating as a platform comprising 35 television stations and 2 radio stations across 27 media markets in 39 states, reaching 24 million U.S. television households. The portfolio includes flagship station WCVB-TV (Boston), major market stations like WLWT-TV (Cincinnati) and WESH-TV (Orlando), and spans broadcast, streaming (Very Local), and digital distribution. The Hearst Media Production Group develops 85 original series reaching 17+ million weekly viewers across 100+ countries. D2 partnerships distribute content through MeTV, Estrella TV, The CW Plus, Heroes & Icons, and True Crime Network on digital subchannels. The company delivers local and national news, weather, sports, and entertainment via broadcast, streaming platforms, and digital properties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hearst Media Production Group: Develops original programming for TV stations, networks, and streaming services
• Very Local
• MeTV
• Estrella TV
• The CW Plus
• Heroes & Icons
• True Crime Network
• Lucky Dog Channel

Products and services

• Hearst Television Broadcast Stations A portfolio of 35 television stations and 2 radio stations serving 27 media markets across 39 states, reaching 24 million U.S. television households with local and national news, weather, sports, and entertainment programming. Affiliated with major networks including ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, MyNet, Estrella, and MeTV.
• Very Local Streaming Platform Streaming service providing local news and original non-scripted programming in Hearst's local markets. Available on multiple streaming platforms with localized FAST channels through various aggregators, featuring over a dozen original unscripted shows including regional Emmy award winners.
• Hearst Media Production Group (HMPG) Original programming division developing content for TV stations, networks, and streaming services. Reaches more than 17 million weekly viewers with 85 original series across platforms in more than 100 countries, including the Lucky Dog Channel and 96 Telly Awards-winning productions.
• MeTV Network Distribution Memorable Entertainment Television partnership providing classic television programming from the 1950s through 1990s, distributed on digital subchannels of Hearst stations.
• Household-Level Addressable Advertising Precision targeting advertising capability enabling household-level addressable advertising on broadcast television through partnership with Viamedia.ai and MediaKind, potentially driving a 25% increase in monetizable impressions by opening previously unavailable markets.
• Oklahoma Chronicle Community-focused local program launched by KOCO-TV Oklahoma City, covering local community stories and events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% increase in monetizable impressions through household-level addressable advertising partnership

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

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Viamedia.aicoreTechnology or Integration · 24 June 2026Partnership to enable household-level addressable advertising on broadcast television, combining Viamedia's Parrot Ad Decisioning System platform with Hearst Television's compatible broadcast technology infrastructure. The partnership allows stations like WLWT-TV to participate in previously unavailable markets and could drive a 25% increase in monetizable impressions through precision targeting.
• Front Office SportsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 April 2026Distribution partnership for 'Front Office Sports Tonight' daily syndicated TV news program. Hearst stations clearing the show across 49 of top 50 markets, reaching 85% of U.S. households.
• Hondo Rodeo FestminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 April 2026Partnership making WDSU-TV the exclusive broadcast partner for the Hondo Rodeo's three-night million-dollar rodeo competition at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Event broadcast on WDSU's MeTV New Orleans channel and streamed on Hearst's Very Local app.
• ABCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork affiliation partnership with ABC for multiple Hearst stations including WCVB-TV Boston, WYFF-TV Greenville, WESH-TV Orlando, and others.
• NBCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork affiliation partnership with NBC for multiple Hearst stations including KCRA-TV Sacramento, WTAE-TV Pittsburgh, and WLWT-TV Cincinnati.
• CBScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork affiliation partnership with CBS for various Hearst television stations.
• The CW PluscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational feed distribution partnership for The CW Television Network carried on Hearst digital subchannels and non-broadcast cable outlets.
• MeTVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMemorable Entertainment Television partnership providing classic television programming on Hearst digital subchannels, launched in 2005.
• Estrella TVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpanish-language media partnership with Estrella Media for vertically integrated multi-platform content across largest U.S. Hispanic markets.
• XumominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Xumo for exclusive launch of Lucky Dog Channel on Xumo Play, Hearst Media Production Group's animal-focused content channel.
• Pearl TV ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in Pearl TV consortium of U.S. TV broadcast companies pursuing ATSC 3.0/NextGen TV innovation and standards development.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Gray Television: Operates ~180 TV stations in 113 markets, focused on mid-sized and smaller markets. Comparable in network affiliation mix (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX) and local news orientation, though with smaller-market weighting than Hearst.
• Nexstar Media Group: Largest U.S. television station operator with ~200 stations across 116 markets, including CW and major network affiliates. Closest direct competitor to Hearst Television by station count, network affiliate strategy, and political advertising exposure.
• Graham Media Group: Family-owned station group operating 7 TV stations plus digital and social media properties. Smaller in scale but with comparable premium-market focus and a similar family-owned corporate structure.
• Cox Media Group: Operates a mix of broadcast TV, radio, and digital properties. Comparable in multi-platform broadcasting strategy and station group scale, though smaller by household reach.
• Sinclair Broadcast Group: Operates ~185 TV stations across 80+ markets, the largest station group by raw count. Direct competitor in local news, sports, and network affiliation economics with a more aggressive national content sharing strategy.
• Tegna Inc. Operates 64 TV stations in 51 markets reaching ~22M households. Highly comparable portfolio scale and premium-market positioning; was acquired by Nexstar in 2025, making it a benchmark for station group M&A valuations.
• E.W. Scripps Company: Operates ~60 TV stations plus national networks (Ion, Court TV, Bounce). Comparable in broadcast operations and local news focus; competitor in overlapping mid-market station footprints.

Broad incumbents

• Fox Corporation: Owns the FOX broadcast network and 29 FOX-affiliated stations plus national cable assets. Network partner/competitor dynamic — Hearst carries NBC/ABC/CBS while Fox stations handle the fourth major network's footprint.
• Comcast (NBCUniversal): Owns NBC network and O&O stations including WMAQ-TV Chicago. Major network partner of Hearst (NBC affiliate agreements with KCRA, WTAE, WLWT, etc.) and a competitor for ad budgets and content distribution.
• Paramount Global: Owns CBS broadcast network plus owned-and-operated stations that directly compete with Hearst CBS affiliates (e.g., WBBM-TV Chicago vs. Hearst markets). Key network partner/competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hearsttv
• Facebookfacebook.com/hearsttelevision
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hearst-television
• Instagraminstagram.com/hearst

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments4 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hearst Television Inc.