Gannett Digital

What Gannett Digital does

Gannett Digital operates as USA TODAY Co, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of publicly-traded Gannett Company, and is the commercial face of the USA TODAY Network for advertising and marketing solutions. The business sells omnichannel advertising — display, print, video (OTT/CTV), branded content, direct mail, performance marketing, classifieds, and the proprietary SMART Solution/SMART Delivery technology stack — to national brands and large enterprises, with a self-serve channel for SMBs and individuals placing public notices, obituaries, recruitment, and private-party classifieds. The platform claims reach of 126M+ unique monthly visitors across 200+ communities in all 50 U.S. states (December 2025 comScore Media Metrix), with stated penetration of approximately 1 in 2 U.S. adults.

The underlying technology is a proprietary advertising stack branded as SMART Solution (audience targeting and demand capture across platforms) and SMART Delivery (campaign execution and ad delivery optimization), supplemented by the Active Shopper Network for retail commerce, Video SEO Merchandising, and a premium content vertical in Golfweek (50-year heritage, affluent readership). Customer segmentation is vertical-based — Automotive, Recruitment, Travel, Finance, Education, Furniture, and Home Improvement — with named enterprise accounts including Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Duracell Optimum, Jimmy Dean, and Nature's Way, alongside a long tail of SMB and classified advertisers.

The business model is predominantly advertising-driven, with revenue from display, print, video/OTT/CTV, branded content, performance marketing, direct mail, and shopper-network placements, plus transaction-fee revenue from self-serve classifieds. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; enterprise engagements are quote-based, structured around client KPIs. Go-to-market runs through dedicated field sales for enterprise brands and a self-serve web channel for SMB and classified advertisers. The entity sits within Gannett Company alongside operating subsidiaries LocaliQ (local marketing solutions), Get Creative (creative services), and Ventures & Events (experiential marketing).

Name

Gannett Digital

Legal name

USA TODAY Co, Inc.

Website

https://gannettdigital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

USA TODAY Co, Inc. (operating as USA TODAY Network) is a Gannett Company subsidiary that sells omnichannel advertising and marketing solutions — display, print, video/OTT/CTV, branded content, direct mail, and performance marketing via its proprietary SMART technology platform — to national brands and large enterprises across all 50 U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Advertising Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (54181), Media Buying Agencies (541830), Direct Mail Advertising (54186), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Direct Mail Advertising Services (7331)

akta.pro primary industry

Connected TV (CTV) & OTT Performance Advertising (BPAFACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Video/CTV/OTT Media Buying (MPAAABAE)

Keywords

• Digital advertising
• Display advertising
• Video OTT CTV
• Branded content
• Performance marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Mclean

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Display Advertising: Banner and digital display ads across USA TODAY Network properties and partner sites
2. Print Advertising: Traditional newspaper print advertising across the USA TODAY Network
3. Video/OTT/CTV Advertising: Over-the-top and connected TV video advertising solutions
4. Performance Marketing: Results-driven marketing campaigns with performance-based pricing
5. Branded Content: Native advertising and custom branded content solutions
6. Classified Advertising: Self-serve and managed classified ads including recruitment, obituaries, public notices, and private-party classifieds
7. Direct Mail: Physical mail campaign services
8. Active Shopper Network: Shopper-focused advertising network

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Gannett Digital, operating as the USA TODAY Network, sells omnichannel advertising and marketing solutions to national brands and large enterprises across display, print, video (OTT/CTV), branded content, direct mail, and performance marketing channels. It also offers self-serve classified advertising for public notices, obituaries, recruitment, and private-party listings, supported by proprietary SMART Solution and SMART Delivery technology for targeting, delivery, and analytics.

Product overview

USA TODAY Network (a Gannett Digital property) operates as a multi-product advertising and marketing platform offering both digital and print advertising solutions. The portfolio includes Display Advertising, Print Advertising, Direct Mail, Branded Content, Custom Promotions, Performance Marketing, and specialty offerings such as SMART Solution, SMART Delivery, Active Shopper Network, and Video SEO Merchandising. The network reaches 126M+ unique monthly visitors across 200+ communities and serves enterprise brands across verticals including Automotive, Recruitment, Travel, Finance, Education, Furniture, Home Improvement, and Golf (via Golfweek sub-brand).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SMART Solution: Proprietary marketing technology solution for enterprise advertising
• SMART Delivery
• Active Shopper Network
• Golfweek

Products and services

• Display Advertising Digital display advertising solutions across the USA TODAY Network's properties, enabling brands to reach audiences through banner ads and visual placements.
• Print Advertising Traditional print advertising placements in USA TODAY and affiliated newspaper publications across 200+ communities.
• Direct Mail Direct mail marketing services enabling targeted postal campaigns to reach consumers in specific geographic areas.
• Branded Content Native advertising and sponsored content solutions that integrate brand messaging within editorial environments.
• Custom Promotions Custom marketing promotions and campaigns designed to drive consumer engagement and brand awareness.
• Performance Marketing Data-driven marketing solutions focused on measurable outcomes, lead generation, and ROI optimization.
• SMART Solution Proprietary marketing technology solution enabling advanced audience targeting and campaign optimization across multiple platforms.
• SMART Delivery Delivery optimization technology for ensuring effective ad delivery and placement across the network.
• Active Shopper Network Retail-focused advertising network targeting active shoppers at point-of-purchase and throughout the shopping journey.
• Video SEO Merchandising Video content optimization and merchandising services to enhance search visibility and consumer engagement.
• Golfweek Premium golf publication targeting affluent consumers interested in luxury travel, premium goods, and high-end services, offering specialized marketing solutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 129M unique monthly visitors and 200+ communities reached
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LocaliQcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocaliQ is a partner brand under USA TODAY Network that provides local marketing solutions, helping small and medium businesses with digital marketing services including SEO, social media, and website solutions.
• Get CreativeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCreative services partner providing custom creative development for advertising campaigns within the USA TODAY Network ecosystem.
• Ventures & EventsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvents and experiential marketing partnership for branded events and promotional activities within the USA TODAY Network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Washington Post: WP BrandStudio sells branded content, display, and custom marketing against a national news audience. Comparable as a national news brand monetizing a large U.S. audience through enterprise and programmatic advertising.
• The New York Times Company: Operates T Brand Studio and NYT advertising solutions that sell national omnichannel campaigns (display, video, branded content) against a premium news audience. Directly comparable as a national news publisher monetizing scale audience via enterprise ad sales.
• Bloomberg Media: Sells enterprise advertising, OTT/CTV, and branded content across Bloomberg's business, news, and digital properties. Comparable premium news and business publisher targeting enterprise advertisers with similar omnichannel products.
• Dotdash Meredith (People Inc.): Operates a portfolio of national lifestyle, news, and enthusiast brands (including PEOPLE, Better Homes & Gardens, Investopedia) selling display, branded content, and performance advertising. Comparable multi-brand national publisher with a similar omnichannel ad product mix.
• Forbes Media: Operates Forbes Advertising and the Forbes Marketplace with branded content, display, and performance offerings against a national business audience. Comparable national premium-content publisher competing for the same enterprise brand budgets.
• Hearst: Hearst Media Solutions sells enterprise advertising across a portfolio of national magazines, newspapers, and broadcast properties. Comparable as a diversified national media company offering display, print, branded content, and programmatic across many verticals.
• Tribune Publishing: Operates a portfolio of U.S. local and regional newspapers selling display, print, direct mail, and digital advertising. Comparable in print + digital + direct mail product mix and local-market footprint, though at smaller national scale.
• News Corp / Dow Jones (Wall Street Journal): Operates WSJ, Barron's, and MarketWatch advertising solutions spanning display, branded content, and programmatic against affluent business audiences. Comparable national premium publisher with similar verticalized audience propositions (e.g., finance, similar to Golfweek's affluent segment).

Emerging players

• BuzzFeed: Sells branded content, display, and performance advertising across a large digital-first national audience. Comparable in digital advertising channels and audience scale, but a smaller, digital-only publisher with a narrower product mix.

Broad incumbents

• Sinclair Broadcast Group: Operates broadcast television stations and sells national/local advertising across CTV/OTT, programmatic, and direct. Comparable in the CTV/OTT video advertising channel and in national-to-local execution capability for enterprise advertisers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/USAT_Network
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@usatodaynetwork
• Facebookfacebook.com/advertising.usatoday
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/usatodaynetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 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 Gannett Digital