NowCities

What NowCities does

NowCities is a Canadian hyper-local digital media platform operating as a division of NowMedia Group, headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia. The company delivers community-focused news, weather, contests, sports, and local content through city-specific websites, with four owned or operated platforms: KelownaNow (flagship), KamloopsNow, PentictonNow, and WestKelownaNow, all concentrated in the Okanagan Valley region of British Columbia. Its core technology is a web-based publishing platform fronted by an interactive map interface that color-codes franchise status (active/owned, available, pending franchise) across more than 100 Canadian cities. The brand voice is positioned as "positive" journalism — short headline promises, no sensationalism, and no out-of-market content.

The business operates on two revenue streams: recurring franchise fees from local operators who license the NowCities model to run a city platform, and local digital advertising sold to community businesses on the owned sites. Go-to-market is dual: a direct-to-consumer channel serving local readers with free content, and a channel-partner/franchise channel targeting community-oriented entrepreneurs to expand into new Canadian markets. Franchise pricing is not publicly disclosed; inquiries are directed to [email protected]. The company is part of a broader NowMedia Group that includes a full-service digital agency, video/photography unit, magazine publishing, print studio, and events division, providing supporting infrastructure for franchisees. NowCities has no disclosed funding rounds, no public revenue figures, and no AI/ML capabilities referenced in available materials.

Name

NowCities

Legal name

NowCities

Website

https://nowcities.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NowCities is a Canadian hyper-local digital media platform and franchise network, operating city-specific news sites (KelownaNow, KamloopsNow, PentictonNow, WestKelownaNow) and offering franchise opportunities across 100+ Canadian cities, monetized through franchise fees and local digital advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hyper-Local Digital Media

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJADAB

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/News Publishing (Newspapers, Digital Newsrooms, Wire Services)

SECONDARYBPAMABAG

Local & Neighborhood Communities

Business & Public Services/Web, Mobile & Digital Platforms/Social Networks & Online Communities

SECONDARYMPACAJAI

Local & Neighborhood Community Platforms

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Digital Media & Content Platforms (Online Video, Podcasts, Creators)/Social Networking & Community Platforms

Keywords

• Hyper-local digital media
• Local online news
• Franchise media network
• Community journalism platforms
• Digital advertising sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Kelowna

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: Revenue generated from franchise owners who pay to operate NowCities platforms in their local markets. The franchise model provides local journalism opportunities to entrepreneurs while generating recurring franchise fees for the parent company.
2. Local Digital Advertising: Local businesses advertise on NowCities platforms to reach community audiences. The platforms supply news, weather, contests, and content to attract local readership that advertisers value.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NowCities operates a hyper-local digital media franchise network delivering community-focused local news, weather, contests, sports, and content across Canadian cities through city-specific websites. The company owns and operates platforms in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Kamloops, and Penticton, while offering franchise opportunities for entrepreneurs to launch NowCities platforms in 100+ other Canadian markets.

Product overview

NowCities operates as a hyper-local media platform franchise network delivering community-focused news, weather, contests, and content across Canadian cities. The core platform consists of city-specific media sites (such as KelownaNow, KamloopsNow, and PentictonNow) that NowMedia Group owns and operates, while simultaneously offering franchise opportunities for entrepreneurs to launch NowCities platforms in other communities. The company provides its franchisees with the established NowCities brand voice, positive storytelling approach, and digital media infrastructure to serve their local markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KelownaNow: Hyper-local news platform for Kelowna, BC - the flagship NowCities platform, marked as Active/Owned.
• KamloopsNow
• PentictonNow
• WestKelownaNow

Products and services

• NowCities Hyper-Local Media Platform Hyper-local media platform providing news, weather, contests, sports, and community content for cities across Canada, delivering stories through a positive, community-focused editorial voice rather than sensationalist journalism.
• KelownaNow City-specific hyper-local news platform serving Kelowna, British Columbia, owned and operated by NowMedia Group.
• WestKelownaNow City-specific hyper-local news platform serving West Kelowna, British Columbia, owned and operated by NowMedia Group.
• KamloopsNow City-specific hyper-local news platform serving Kamloops, British Columbia, part of the Okanagan Valley expansion from the original Kelowna launch.
• PentictonNow City-specific hyper-local news platform serving Penticton, British Columbia, completing the Okanagan Valley regional coverage.
• NowCities Franchise Opportunity Franchise-based expansion offering entrepreneurs the right to operate NowCities platforms in their local communities, with over 100 Canadian cities available for franchise or partnership; franchisees receive the NowCities brand, positive editorial voice, and digital media infrastructure.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NowMedia GroupcoreOthersNowCities is a division of NowMedia Group, which includes a full-service digital agency, video and photography strategic unit, magazine publishing, high-tech print studio, and events division hosting conferences and sessions with world-class speakers. NowMedia Group started as DotCom Media in 1999.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Glacier Media: Canadian media company operating community newspapers and business information across Western Canada — operates in the same hyperlocal news + community information category with an established diversified portfolio.
• Lee Enterprises: Major US local-news operator with 75+ daily newspapers and digital platforms — comparable local-news publishing model but legacy print incumbent, contrasting with NowCities' digital-first model.
• Postmedia Network: Canada's largest newspaper publisher operating national dailies and hundreds of community papers — same Canadian local-news vertical but established print/digital incumbent, opposite end of the size and model spectrum.
• Torstar Corporation: Owner of the Toronto Star and multiple Ontario community newspapers — comparable Canadian local-news publisher with significant digital transition challenges, recently taken private.
• Townsquare Media: US local media operator combining radio, digital, and live events in small/mid-sized markets — comparable in business model (local SMB ad sales + community content) and target geography, but at much larger scale.

Emerging players

• News Break: US-based mobile-first hyperlocal news aggregation app that has grown rapidly into a national digital local-news platform — comparable audience and advertiser model, though app-delivered rather than web-franchise.

Direct peers

• Patch.com: Best-known US hyperlocal digital news network with thousands of community-specific sites — directly comparable in product (city-by-city digital news) and target (local advertisers and community readers).
• Axios Local: Axios's local-market newsletters covering US metros — comparable hyperlocal digital news targeting SMB advertisers with a distinctive editorial voice (Smart Brevity).
• 6AM City: US hyperlocal digital media franchise operating city-specific positive-tone morning newsletters and websites across dozens of US cities — highly comparable franchise model, editorial voice, and local SMB advertising focus.
• Village Media: Canadian digital local news network operating community news sites (SooToday, BayToday, OrilliaMatters, etc.) across Ontario and beyond — directly comparable hyperlocal digital publishing franchise with similar SMB advertiser monetization model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/csekcreative
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheNowMediaGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nowcities
• Instagraminstagram.com/TheNowMediaGroup
• Xx.com/csekcreative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries8 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 NowCities