Memphis Flyer
Memphis Flyer is an independent alternative weekly news publication founded in 1989 in Memphis, Tennessee, delivering free local journalism on news, politics, arts, food, and culture across print, digital, podcast, and newsletter channels to Memphis and the Mid-South region.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersMemphis, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Memphis Flyer does
Memphis Flyer is an alternative weekly news publication serving Memphis, Tennessee and the broader Mid-South region. Founded in 1989 and operated under the legal entity Contemporary Media, Inc., the company has delivered independent local journalism for more than 35 years, covering news, politics, arts, music, food, sports, books, and opinion. The publication maintains editorial independence and explicitly commits to keeping all content free to access, with no subscription paywall.
The publication distributes content across multiple formats: a free open website at memphisfer.com, weekly print issues distributed at news boxes and retail locations throughout Memphis (with digital editions hosted on Issuu), the Memphis Flyer Podcast, free email newsletters, and a dedicated local events calendar at events.memphisflyer.com. The underlying technology stack is conventional: the Newspack publishing platform (WordPress-based) for the website, Issuu for digital issue hosting, and standard podcast distribution platforms. There is no evidence of proprietary AI/ML capabilities, developer APIs, or mobile applications.
Memphis Flyer generates revenue through three streams: local and national advertising sold across the website and weekly print edition, the Frequent Flyer voluntary donor/membership program (recurring and one-time contributions), and branded merchandise sales through a connected shop called Grind City Designs. The company is privately held with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or parent company affiliations, and there is no evidence of M&A activity, leadership changes, or external funding rounds in the source material.
Memphis Flyer firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Memphis Flyer
- Legal name
- Contemporary Media, Inc.
- Website
- https://memphisflyer.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Memphis Flyer is an independent alternative weekly news publication founded in 1989 in Memphis, Tennessee, delivering free local journalism on news, politics, arts, food, and culture across print, digital, podcast, and newsletter channels to Memphis and the Mid-South region.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Memphis Flyer industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local News and Media Publishing
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)
Keywords
Where Memphis Flyer is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Memphis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Memphis Flyer business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Advertising (Local and National): The publication sells local and national advertising space on its website and in its weekly print edition. The website links to local advertising and national advertising rate pages.
- Frequent Flyer Donor Program: Readers contribute financially on a recurring or one-time basis through the Frequent Flyer program. The publication characterizes this as an investment in independent local journalism and explicitly states it will always remain free to access.
- Merchandise Sales: The publication operates a shop (Grind City Designs) selling Memphis Flyer branded merchandise including apparel and accessories.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free access (default) — no charge for website or content |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Memphis Flyer product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Memphis Flyer is an alternative weekly newspaper and digital news publication serving the Memphis, Tennessee and Mid-South region. It delivers local journalism on news, politics, arts, music, food, sports, opinion, and community events through a free-to-read website, a weekly print edition, a podcast series, an online events calendar, and email newsletters. The publication operates under Contemporary Media, Inc. and is supported by advertising revenue, voluntary reader donations, and branded merchandise sales.
Product overview
Memphis Flyer is a single unified local news publication offering free online journalism alongside a weekly print/digital magazine, podcast series, events calendar, and a supporter membership program. The core offering is its website delivering breaking news, features, and opinion on Memphis-area topics including politics, arts, music, food, and sports. The publication operates independently, powered by the Newspack publishing platform, and generates revenue through advertising and reader support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Memphis Flyer Podcast: The publication's podcast series covering local topics including politics, music, and culture
Products and services
- Memphis Flyer Online Website The primary digital news platform delivering free local journalism covering Memphis-area news, politics, arts, music, food, sports, opinion, and community events. Targeted at general readers in Memphis and the Mid-South region.
- Memphis Flyer Weekly Print and Digital Magazine Weekly print edition available at news boxes and retail locations throughout Memphis, with digital issues hosted on Issuu. Features in-depth local news coverage, cover stories, and community features targeted at Memphis-area readers.
- Memphis Flyer Podcast Audio podcast series featuring interviews, discussions, and coverage of local Memphis topics including politics, food, music, and community events, distributed on-demand through podcast platforms.
- Memphis Flyer Events Calendar Online event listings and calendar functionality for Memphis-area events, including music, arts, theater, and community happenings, accessible to readers and event organizers.
- Frequent Flyer Membership Program Reader supporter and donation program that allows Memphis-area readers to financially back independent local journalism through monthly recurring or one-time voluntary contributions.
- Memphis Flyer Branded Merchandise (Grind City Designs Shop) Online store operated via Grind City Designs selling Memphis Flyer branded apparel and accessories to readers and community supporters.
Companies that use Memphis Flyer
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Memphis Flyer technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Memphis Flyer partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Memphis Flyer competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Nashville Scene: Nashville's alternative weekly covering local news, arts, music, food, and culture. Operates with a similar weekly print + digital + events model targeting a single Tennessee metro, making it the closest geographic and editorial analog to Memphis Flyer.
- LEO Weekly: Louisville's alternative weekly covering local news, arts, food, and culture. Operates with the same weekly print newsmagazine, free digital site, and event-calendar mix as Memphis Flyer in a comparable mid-sized Southern/Midwestern city.
- Riverfront Times: St. Louis's long-running alternative weekly covering news, arts, food, and music with a free website and weekly print edition. Closely mirrors Memphis Flyer's editorial mix and single-metro coverage strategy.
- The Pitch: Kansas City's alternative weekly covering local news, arts, music, food, and culture with a comparable free digital and weekly print model targeting a single metro audience.
- Boise Weekly: Boise's independent alternative weekly covering local news, arts, and culture with a free digital site and print edition. Comparable scale, audience, and editorial scope to Memphis Flyer.
- Pacific Northwest Inlander: Spokane-based alternative weekly covering Inland Northwest news, arts, food, and music. Operates a similar free weekly newsmagazine with a dedicated events calendar and regional coverage model.
- Sacramento News & Review: Sacramento's alternative weekly covering local news, arts, music, and food with a weekly print and free digital model. Direct comparable in format, scale, and editorial positioning to Memphis Flyer.
- Boulder Weekly: Boulder's independent alternative weekly covering local news, arts, and culture with a free digital site and weekly print edition. Matches Memphis Flyer's single-metro, free-access editorial approach.
- Flagpole Magazine: Athens, Georgia's independent alternative weekly covering local news, music, arts, and culture. Operates with a comparable free digital and print weekly model in a college-town / mid-sized city context.
Broad incumbents
- Patch: National hyperlocal news network operating across thousands of U.S. communities including Memphis. A broader incumbent that competes for local-news advertising and reader attention but at network scale rather than single-market editorial depth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Memphis Flyer social profiles
Digital presenceMemphis Flyer financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Memphis Flyer leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Memphis Flyer funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Memphis Flyer 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 Memphis Flyer
What does Memphis Flyer do?
Memphis Flyer is an alternative weekly newspaper and digital news publication serving the Memphis, Tennessee and Mid-South region. It delivers local journalism on news, politics, arts, music, food, sports, opinion, and community events through a free-to-read website, a weekly print edition, a podcast series, an online events calendar, and email newsletters. The publication operates under Contemporary Media, Inc. and is supported by advertising revenue, voluntary reader donations, and branded merchandise sales.
Is Memphis Flyer a public or private company?
Memphis Flyer is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Memphis Flyer founded?
Memphis Flyer was founded in 1989.
Where is Memphis Flyer based?
Memphis Flyer is headquartered in Memphis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Memphis Flyer make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Advertising (Local and National) is the primary driver. The others are frequent Flyer Donor Program and merchandise Sales.
Who are Memphis Flyer's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Nashville Scene, LEO Weekly, Riverfront Times, The Pitch, Boise Weekly, Pacific Northwest Inlander, Sacramento News & Review, Boulder Weekly and Flagpole Magazine. Patch is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Memphis Flyer have an API?
No public API is recorded for Memphis Flyer.
What industry is Memphis Flyer in?
Memphis Flyer's product category is Local News and Media Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAN, Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines. Its SIC code is 2721.