ABC24 WATN
ABC24 WATN is a TEGNA-owned ABC-affiliated local TV station and digital news platform serving Memphis, Tennessee and the Mid-South with news, weather, sports, and 24/7 CTV streaming via ABC24+.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersNew Memphis, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What ABC24 WATN does
ABC24 WATN is a local television station (legal entity WATN-TV) branded as "ABC24" and "Local Memphis," operating as the ABC network affiliate for the Memphis, Tennessee DMA and the broader Mid-South region spanning parts of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. The station is owned by publicly-traded TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) and serves the general Memphis-area consumer audience with local news, weather, sports (Memphis Grizzlies, Memphis Tigers, Ole Miss, high school), politics, investigations, and community features. Its product surface includes the over-the-air ABC24 News broadcast, a CW30 sub-channel, the localmemphis.com website with articles, video, and weather tools, and since January 2025 the ABC24+ 24/7 streaming service distributed on Roku, Amazon Fire, and Apple TV. Additional digital products include a 24/7 LIVE RADAR weather tracker, an interactive gas price map, real-time traffic conditions, a "Missing in the Mid-South" public safety feature, and the community-based ABC24 Weather Watchers program on Facebook.
The underlying technology is a conventional broadcast television stack (FCC-licensed transmission plus studio production) augmented by a multi-platform digital distribution layer (web CMS, CTV apps, social channels, email newsletter). The station's revenue model is advertising-driven: it sells display, video, and sponsored content on its broadcast and digital properties, with rates that are not publicly disclosed and are likely negotiated on a placement/timing/format basis. Audience reach is monetized through both linear TV ad inventory and digital/CTV inventory, and the station's distribution spans over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite (via CW30), and global CTV streaming — making it accessible to both traditional and cord-cutting viewers. As a single-station operating subsidiary within TEGNA's portfolio, ABC24 WATN's go-to-market is effectively a product-led growth motion: free, ad-supported content distributed across the maximum number of platforms to maximize viewer reach and ad inventory.
Customer concentration risk is difficult to characterize precisely because the station does not name advertisers and operates a B2C audience model. End consumers (viewers) are highly fragmented across the Memphis DMA, suggesting low concentration risk on the audience side. On the advertiser side, the lack of disclosed named accounts and the use of broad, non-priced ad inventory imply a long-tail of SMB and regional advertisers rather than anchor enterprise contracts, again pointing to low concentration. However, the station is materially exposed to (i) the broader linear-TV ad market cycle and (ii) TEGNA's corporate strategy, which is a form of single-parent dependency.
ABC24 WATN firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ABC24 WATN
- Legal name
- WATN-TV
- Website
- https://abc24.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- ABC24 WATN is a TEGNA-owned ABC-affiliated local TV station and digital news platform serving Memphis, Tennessee and the Mid-South with news, weather, sports, and 24/7 CTV streaming via ABC24+.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ABC24 WATN industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local Broadcast Television
- NAICS
- Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)
- SIC
- Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Network-Affiliated Local TV Stations (ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX/CW/Telemundo/Univision, etc.) (MPABACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- News OTT & Live News Streaming Channels (MPABAHAK), Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ)
Keywords
Where ABC24 WATN is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New Memphis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ABC24 WATN business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Advertising Revenue: The station generates revenue primarily through advertising sold on its broadcast and digital platforms, including display ads, video ads, and sponsored content on localmemphis.com
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
ABC24 WATN product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ABC24 WATN operates a local ABC-affiliated television station providing local news, weather, sports, and entertainment programming to the Memphis, Tennessee metropolitan area and Mid-South region. The station delivers content via traditional over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite (CW30), its localmemphis.com website, and the ABC24+ 24/7 streaming service on connected TV platforms. Revenue is primarily generated through advertising sold across broadcast and digital channels.
Product overview
ABC24 WATN is a local Memphis, Tennessee television news station operating as an ABC affiliate. The station offers a portfolio of news products including the core ABC24 News broadcast (available via traditional TV and the ABC24+ streaming service), weather radar services, traffic monitoring, and specialty features like Missing in the Mid-South. The main digital products include the localmemphis.com website, the ABC24+ 24/7 streaming service available on Roku, Amazon Fire, and Apple TV, and the 24/7 LIVE RADAR weather tracking tool. Additional community-focused products include ABC24 Weather Watchers (citizen weather reporting), the Memphis Gas Price Map, and traffic condition tracking.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ABC24+: 24/7 streaming service available on Roku, Amazon Fire, and Apple TV
Products and services
- ABC24 News
Companies that use ABC24 WATN
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ABC24 WATN technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ABC24 WATN partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- TegnacoreTegna is the parent company operating ABC24 WATN as part of its portfolio of broadcast television stations. The station operates under the Tegna media infrastructure and is branded as an ABC affiliate with access to ABC network programming.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
ABC24 WATN competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- WHBQ-TV (FOX13 Memphis): FOX-affiliated local TV station in the Memphis market, competing across news, weather, and sports coverage with ABC24 WATN. Direct in-market network-affiliate peer.
- WREG-TV (News Channel 3): CBS-affiliated local TV station serving the same Memphis DMA as ABC24 WATN, competing head-to-head for local news viewers, advertising dollars, and sports rights coverage. Direct in-market rival.
- WMC-TV (Action News 5): NBC-affiliated local TV station in Memphis, competing with ABC24 WATN for local news ratings and local ad spend within the same DMA. Closest comparable network-affiliate competitor.
Broad incumbents
- TEGNA: Publicly-traded parent company (NYSE: TGNA) that owns and operates ABC24 WATN along with a broader portfolio of local broadcast stations. Provides shared infrastructure, scale, and corporate strategy context.
- Hearst Television: Division of Hearst Corporation operating network-affiliated local TV stations across the US. Comparable to ABC24 WATN as a network-affiliate operator with shared news-production and ad-sales infrastructure.
- Nexstar Media Group: Largest US owner of local TV stations (including CW and network affiliates). Operates comparable network-affiliated and CW stations in mid-sized markets across the country, competing for ad spend and syndicated content.
- Sinclair Broadcast Group: Major US local broadcast station group operating numerous network-affiliated stations and regional sports networks. Comparable in operating model and ad-sales structure to ABC24 WATN's station-level operations.
- Gray Television: Large US local TV broadcast group focused on mid-sized markets. Closely comparable to ABC24 WATN in market size, network-affiliate mix, and revenue model.
- E.W. Scripps Company: Publicly-traded media company operating local TV stations plus national news networks (ION, Scripps News). Comparable in combining local broadcast operations with national news content distribution.
Emerging players
- NewsNation: Nationally distributed cable/streaming news channel competing for local news audiences and ad budgets. Represents the streaming news category that ABC24+ is entering, making it a thematic peer in news distribution and monetization.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ABC24 WATN social profiles
Digital presenceABC24 WATN financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ABC24 WATN leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
ABC24 WATN funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ABC24 WATN M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ABC24 WATN
What does ABC24 WATN do?
ABC24 WATN operates a local ABC-affiliated television station providing local news, weather, sports, and entertainment programming to the Memphis, Tennessee metropolitan area and Mid-South region. The station delivers content via traditional over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite (CW30), its localmemphis.com website, and the ABC24+ 24/7 streaming service on connected TV platforms. Revenue is primarily generated through advertising sold across broadcast and digital channels.
Is ABC24 WATN a public or private company?
ABC24 WATN is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was ABC24 WATN founded?
ABC24 WATN was founded in -1.
Where is ABC24 WATN based?
ABC24 WATN is headquartered in New Memphis, United States, in the North America region.
How does ABC24 WATN make money?
One revenue line is on record: advertising Revenue.
Who are ABC24 WATN's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are WHBQ-TV (FOX13 Memphis), WREG-TV (News Channel 3) and WMC-TV (Action News 5). Broad incumbents are TEGNA, Hearst Television, Nexstar Media Group, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Gray Television and E.W. Scripps Company. NewsNation is listed as an emerging player.
Does ABC24 WATN have an API?
No public API is recorded for ABC24 WATN.
What industry is ABC24 WATN in?
ABC24 WATN's product category is Local Broadcast Television. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABACAE, Network-Affiliated Local TV Stations (ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX/CW/Telemundo/Univision, etc.), with a secondary code of MPABAHAK, News OTT & Live News Streaming Channels. Its NAICS code is 51612 and its SIC code is 4833.