What Wfnz Sports Radio 610 AM does

WFNZ is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based sports talk radio station operating under Interactive One, LLC, a subsidiary of Urban One (NASDAQ: UONE), the publicly traded media company focused on African American consumers. The station broadcasts on 92.7 FM and serves Charlotte-area sports fans with live coverage and analysis of the Carolina Panthers (NFL), Charlotte Hornets (NBA), Charlotte FC (MLS), and Carolina Hurricanes (NHL), as well as regional college athletics. Core programming consists of four daily shows (Mac & Bone morning drive, Charlotte Sports Today, The Kyle Bailey Show, and Wes & Walker), supplemented by podcasts distributed through OMNY.fm, a mobile application, website streaming, and an Alexa smart speaker integration.

The station's product portfolio extends beyond broadcast into a physical event venue called The Dog House, located at 401 W Morehead Street in Uptown Charlotte, which hosts concerts, tailgates, and branded community activations, and a Community Mental Health Initiative produced in collaboration with the Mecklenburg County ABC Board. WFNZ also serves as the Charlotte affiliate for ESPN Radio, carrying national sports programming during overnight hours. Technology is conventional broadcast and digital audio: over-the-air AM/FM transmission, live web streaming, a dedicated mobile app, and a voice-activated Alexa skill; no proprietary AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through advertising and sponsorships sold to local and national brands targeting the Charlotte sports audience, including event sponsorships at The Dog House from brands such as Tito's Handmade Vodka and Jack Daniel's. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated directly with advertisers based on time slot, audience reach, and package type. Go-to-market is sales-led, leveraging Urban One's corporate advertising infrastructure, ESPN Radio's network reach, and live event activations. The station operates with 1-10 employees, indicating a lean operation that relies on shared corporate resources from its Urban One parent.

Name

Wfnz Sports Radio 610 AM

Legal name

Interactive One, LLC

Website

https://wfnz.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WFNZ is a Charlotte-based sports talk radio station (92.7 FM) owned by Urban One subsidiary Interactive One, LLC, serving Charlotte-area fans of the Carolina Panthers, Hornets, FC, and Hurricanes with live broadcasts, podcasts, a mobile app, and live events at The Dog House venue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Radio Networks & Talk Stations (MPABAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

News/Talk Radio Networks (MPABABAD), Network-Affiliated Local Radio Stations (News/Talk/Sports Syndication Affiliates) (MPABACAF)

Keywords

• Sports radio broadcasting
• Live sports talk
• Sports podcast network
• Sports event coverage
• Sports media advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising & Sponsorships: WFNZ generates revenue through the sale of advertising spots, sponsorships, and branded content to local and national advertisers targeting the Charlotte-area sports audience. The station also hosts sponsored events at The Dog House venue, featuring branded pre-concert tailgate parties and community initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WFNZ Sports Radio 610 AM operates a Charlotte, NC-based sports talk radio station broadcasting at 92.7 FM, delivering live local sports news, game coverage, and talk programming focused on the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets, Charlotte FC, and Carolina Hurricanes. The station supplements its broadcast with podcasts distributed via OMNY.fm, a mobile app, Alexa smart speaker integration, website live streaming, and live event activations at The Dog House venue in Uptown Charlotte. Revenue is generated primarily through advertising spot sales, show sponsorships, and branded event sponsorships.

Product overview

WFNZ Radio is a sports radio station operating as a unified platform offering broadcast radio programming, original podcasts distributed via OMNY.fm, a mobile app, and a physical venue called The Dog House. The core offering includes live sports talk shows (Mac & Bone, Charlotte Sports Today, The Kyle Bailey Show, Wes & Walker) and community-focused programming (Community Mental Health Initiative). Content is distributed across broadcast radio, podcast platforms, a mobile application, Alexa voice integration, and live streaming, creating a multi-platform sports media ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Dog House: An entertainment venue and event space operated by WFNZ in Uptown Charlotte, hosting concerts, tailgates, and community events.

Products and services

• WFNZ Sports Radio Broadcast (92.7 FM) Local sports talk radio station broadcasting at 92.7 FM, delivering live sports news, game coverage, and talk programming to the Charlotte, NC metro area.
• Mac & Bone Show Morning drive sports talk show covering local and national sports news with guest interviews and fan interaction.
• Charlotte Sports Today Midday sports talk show focusing on Charlotte-area professional teams including the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets, and Charlotte FC.
• The Kyle Bailey Show Sports talk show hosted by Kyle Bailey featuring sports news, analysis, and guest interviews covering Carolina and regional sports.
• Wes & Walker Show Sports talk show hosted by Wes and Walker Mehl covering regional sports news and discussion.
• Mac & Bone Podcast On-demand podcast version of the Mac & Bone morning show distributed via OMNY.fm.
• The Kyle Bailey Show Podcast On-demand podcast version of The Kyle Bailey Show distributed via OMNY.fm.
• Wes & Walker Podcast On-demand podcast version of the Wes & Walker show distributed via OMNY.fm.
• The Rebound Podcast With Matt Doherty Podcast focusing on basketball coverage and sports discussions hosted by Matt Doherty.
• Crown Corner Podcast Podcast covering Charlotte FC soccer content available on OMNY.fm.
• The Dog House Venue Physical entertainment venue and event space in Uptown Charlotte hosting concerts, tailgate parties, and sports viewing events for listeners and brand sponsors.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ESPN RadiocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWFNZ serves as the Charlotte affiliate for ESPN Radio, carrying national sports programming during overnight hours (11:00pm – 6:00am). This partnership provides national sports content to complement WFNZ's local programming during overnight slots.
• Radio One (Urban One)coreOthersWFNZ is an An Urban One Brand, operated by Interactive One, LLC (Radio One). Radio One is a large radio broadcasting company serving the African American community across multiple markets. The station operates under the Radio One corporate umbrella, which provides operational infrastructure, advertising sales platforms, and digital technology.
• Mecklenburg County ABC BoardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFNZ collaborates with the Mecklenburg County Alcoholic Beverage Control Board on a Community Mental Health Initiative. The monthly series addresses mental and behavioral health topics including substance abuse prevention, social media mental health impacts, peer support, and housing/homelessness. The initiative amplifies community voices and provides resources.
• Tito's Handmade VodkaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTito's Handmade Vodka sponsors The Dog House venue events, including pre-concert tailgate parties and live music events. The sponsorship provides branded activation opportunities at the physical venue in Uptown Charlotte.
• Jack Daniel'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJack Daniel's partnered with WFNZ for seasonal events at The Dog House, including the Jack Daniel's Carols by the Barrels holiday event featuring music, drinks, and holiday cheer.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• WFAN 660 AM/101.9 FM (NYC): Iconic market-leading sports talk radio station in New York City. Comparable as a flagship local sports talk radio brand with established personalities, podcasts, and live event extensions, scaled much larger.
• 105.3 The Fan (KRLD-FM Dallas): Dallas-Fort Worth sports talk radio station covering local pro teams with established personalities. Comparable in format, structure, and revenue model to WFNZ, in a different mid-to-large regional sports market.
• Fox Sports Radio: National sports talk radio network affiliated with various local stations. Comparable as another sports radio content network and competitor for similar local sports talk audiences and advertisers.
• WIP 94 WIP (Philadelphia): Long-running Philadelphia sports talk radio station covering local pro teams with on-air personalities and podcasts. Directly analogous format and structure to WFNZ, scaled to a different market.
• 670 The Score (WSCR Chicago): Chicago sports talk radio station covering local pro teams with a combination of local personalities and national sports content. Functionally equivalent format and audience model to WFNZ in Charlotte.
• ESPN Radio: National sports radio network whose Charlotte affiliate WFNZ is. ESPN Radio provides the national sports content backbone overnight, and as a network it competes for sports radio ad budgets and listener mindshare across the country.

Direct peers

• 730 The Game Charlotte (WZGV): Rival Charlotte sports talk radio station directly competing for the same local sports radio audience and advertising dollars. Both are local sports talk AM signals targeting Charlotte pro and college sports fans.
• 102.9 The Game Charlotte (WCMC-FM): Another Charlotte-market sports talk radio station competing head-to-head with WFNZ for local sports listeners and advertisers, operating on a similar local sports talk format.

Others

• Audacy (formerly Entercom/Radio.com): Multi-market radio broadcaster that owns comparable sports talk stations (WFAN, WIP, 670 The Score). Relevant as the analogous peer operating company to Interactive One/Urban One that owns WFNZ.

Regional players

• Bally Sports South (FanDuel Sports Network South): Regional sports network broadcasting Hurricanes, Hornets, and college sports across the Carolinas. Competes for the same local sports advertiser and fan attention through TV rather than radio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/wfnz
• Facebookfacebook.com/WFNZ927FM
• Instagraminstagram.com/wfnz927fm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wfnz-sports-radio-610-am

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 Wfnz Sports Radio 610 AM