Half Moon Bay Review

What Half Moon Bay Review does

Half Moon Bay Review is a long-standing community news publication operating as part of Coastside News Group, Inc., a privately held California corporation headquartered in Half Moon Bay. The publication provides hyperlocal coverage of Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, and the broader San Mateo County Coastside region, spanning news, high school and youth sports, local business, community events, obituaries, opinion/editorials, and a monthly Coastside Magazine. Core distribution is dual-format: a print newspaper complemented by a digital presence at coastsidenews.com, an electronic edition (e-Edition), email newsletters (Daily, Weekly, and Breaking News Alerts), podcasts, and video content. The underlying technology is a standard digital content management system with no proprietary features disclosed, and no mobile app is offered.

The business model is subscription-driven with multiple pricing tiers, including individual and gift subscriptions processed via major credit cards, supplemented by local SMB advertising (advertising inquiries are routed through a dedicated form). Customer acquisition runs through organic social channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram under the Coastside News Group brand), email newsletters, the website, and podcast distribution. Coastside News Group also operates companion titles (a Tribune and a Coastside Guide) and a magazine, suggesting a multi-title local media portfolio rather than a single-asset operation. The organization is small (11–50 employees), independent (no parent company, no VC/PE backing identified), and has been continuously publishing since the late 19th/early 20th century, with active content production observed as recently as July 2026.

Name

Half Moon Bay Review

Legal name

Coastside News Group, Inc.

Website

https://hmbreview.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Half Moon Bay Review, operated by Coastside News Group, Inc., is a long-standing community newspaper providing hyperlocal news, sports, and event coverage for Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, and the San Mateo County Coastside region via print, web, e-Edition, newsletters, podcasts, and video.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Half Moon Bay

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Half Moon Bay Review is a community news publication providing hyperlocal journalism on city council decisions, local schools, high school sports, community events, business news, obituaries, and opinion content for the Half Moon Bay and broader Coastside region of San Mateo County, California. The product is delivered online via a website and e-Edition, supplemented by email newsletters (Coastside News Daily, Coastside News Weekly, Breaking News Alerts), podcasts, and video content, with access gated behind a subscription model that also includes print editions.

Product overview

Half Moon Bay Review is a local news publication (part of Coastside News Group) offering both print and digital content across multiple channels. The core product is the online news website featuring News, Sports, Community, Business, Obituaries, and Opinion sections. Supporting digital offerings include an e-Edition digital replica, email newsletters (Daily and Weekly Headlines), Breaking News alerts, Video content, and Podcasts. The publication operates on a subscription model with free and paid access tiers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Patch.com: National network of hyperlocal news sites including Bay Area communities. Competes for the same Coastside advertising and reader attention with a lighter, digital-only model that overlaps but does not match Half Moon Bay Review's editorial depth.
• Block Club Chicago: Nonprofit, reader-supported hyperlocal digital news outlet serving Chicago neighborhoods. Comparable digital, subscription- and donation-driven community news model with newsletters and beat-focused journalism, though at a larger scale.

Direct peers

• Embarcadero Media: Independent publisher of multiple Bay Area community newspapers (Palo Alto Online, Mountain View Voice, The Almanac). Directly comparable hyperlocal newspaper group operating print + digital subscription models in similar California markets.
• Berkeleyside: Independent digital-first hyperlocal news outlet serving Berkeley, California. Comparable as a small-team, community-focused news organization with mixed newsletter, ad, and event revenue from a single Bay Area community.
• Lookout Santa Cruz: Member-supported digital-first local news outlet serving Santa Cruz County, California. Comparable digital subscription-driven hyperlocal model with newsletters and community-focused investigative journalism in a coastal California community.
• San Mateo Daily Journal: Daily local newspaper serving San Mateo County, geographically adjacent to Half Moon Bay Review's service area. Comparable local newspaper running combined print, e-edition, and digital subscription products for a Bay Area community.
• Pacifica Tribune: Sister publication to Half Moon Bay Review under the Coastside News Group umbrella, serving the adjacent Coastside community of Pacifica. Closest direct comparable for hyperlocal news, sports, and community coverage in the same San Mateo County market.

Broad incumbents

• Bay Area News Group: Large media company operating multiple daily newspapers across the Bay Area (Mercury News, East Bay Times). Serves many of the same regional markets with greater resources and broader reach, competing for both audience and ad budgets.
• San Francisco Chronicle: Major regional newspaper serving the broader Bay Area, including Coastside communities. Sets the standard for Bay Area journalism and competes for regional digital subscriptions and advertising spend that the Half Moon Bay Review also monetizes locally.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CNGI_news
• Facebookfacebook.com/CNGInews
• Instagraminstagram.com/coastside_news

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 Half Moon Bay Review