Cox Media Group
US local broadcaster and advertising sales operator.
Available information varies by company and source.
Profile record updated:
Company facts
- Official name
- CMG Media Corporation
- Entity type
- COMPANY
- Founded
- 2008
- Headquarters
- United States
- Company size
- 1,001–5,000
- Market role
- Publisher & Media Owner
- Official website
- cmg.com
What Cox Media Group does
The company owns and operates local media assets that attract regional audiences through news and entertainment programming, then monetises that attention via advertising sales. It creates value through a two-sided model: consumer-facing broadcast and digital content properties generate reach, while the B2B sales arm packages that reach into TV, radio, and digital campaigns for advertisers and agencies. Its managed-service offer adds planning, targeting, execution, and measurement on top of owned inventory, increasing wallet share from local and regional advertisers.
Category differentiation
This is a US local broadcast media owner and advertising sales operator, not a standalone DSP, SSP, or national social media platform. It should also not be confused with Cox Enterprises, its former controlling parent and continuing minority shareholder.
Strategic context
AI-supported assessment from the existing company research; distinguish interpretation from sourced facts.
Cox Media Group is a privately held US local media company operating broadcast television stations, radio stations, related digital news properties, and an advertising sales division. Its portfolio serves local consumer audiences with news, weather, traffic, talk, music, and other regional content, while selling advertising inventory to local, regional, and national advertisers. The company also packages cross-channel campaigns through CMG Local Solutions, combining TV, radio, digital inventory, audience targeting, and campaign measurement. The business model is centred on monetising owned media reach and local market presence. Revenue comes primarily from selling advertising across broadcast and digital properties, with additional value created through bundled managed advertising services, targeted display, and analytics-led campaign execution for businesses and agencies. The company competes with other US local broadcast groups rather than with national streaming platforms or open-web adtech vendors.
Company news briefing
Briefing updated:
Cox Media Group (CMG) is strengthening its broadcast portfolio, most recently securing exclusive free-to-air rights for the Charlotte Hornets' 2026–27 season via WSOC and TV64. This expansion complements the group’s growth to 17 television brands across nine markets and the appointment of Jules Riley to oversee Atlanta radio operations. These updates follow CMG's £930,000 FTC settlement over deceptive 'Active Listening' AI claims, occurring as parent Apollo Global Management industrialises its AI infrastructure via a $500 billion partnership targeting GPU acquisitions and data centre capacity.
Business model & monetisation
Cox Media Group monetises mainly through direct advertising sales across broadcast television, radio, and digital properties, using spot sales, display and video advertising, and bundled cross-channel campaign packages. It also generates revenue from managed advertising services that combine media spend, audience targeting, campaign planning, and analytics, with pricing likely structured around campaign budgets, service fees, and media inventory packages rather than pure software subscriptions.
- Broadcast television advertising
- Ad-supported media inventory sales
- Radio advertising
- Ad-supported media inventory sales
- Digital advertising
- Display, video, and targeted digital campaigns
- Managed advertising services
- Campaign-based service fees bundled with media spend
Products & capabilities
No products with linked sources are available in this view.
Products & market categories
Competitors & alternatives
- Gray Media
US local broadcaster and cross-channel advertising media owner.
Side-by-side comparisons
Recent recorded signals
Dates refer to the source publication. Older entries are historical context, not evidence of a new event.
Orlando Magic Local TV Rights Move to Cox Media Group
TV (linear) · Recorded impact score: 3/5
The Orlando Magic announced Cox Media Group will become the team’s local television partner beginning in the 2026–27 season, moving many locally televised regular-season games to free over-the-air broadcast. In the Orlando market games will air on WRDQ‑TV 27 with select games on WFTV Channel 9; in Jacksonville games will air on Action Sports Jax TV (WJAX‑TV 47.2) with some broadcasts on CBS47 and FOX30. The deal covers local regular-season games, pregame/postgame shows, replays and other team programming; nationally televised games remain with the NBA’s national partners. The article frames this as part of a broader industry shift away from regional sports networks toward free local broadcast and potential centralized local streaming solutions in future seasons.
- Cox Media Group will be the Orlando Magic’s new local television partner beginning with the 2026–27 season.
- Games will air free over the air on WRDQ‑TV 27 in Orlando, with select games on WFTV Channel 9.
Charlotte Hornets Move Local Games to Free TV
TV (linear) · Recorded impact score: 3/5
The Charlotte Hornets announced that Cox Media Group’s WSOC Channel 9 and TV64 will become the team’s local broadcast home for the 2026–27 NBA season, airing every regular-season game not nationally televised free over the air in the Charlotte area. The agreement expands a prior experiment that put a small number of Hornets games on free TV in 2025 and a 12-game simulcast in 2025–26. The team says a direct-to-consumer streaming solution will be announced later as the NBA explores a centralized local streaming hub for local rights. The move is part of a broader league trend away from the traditional RSN model toward free broadcast and alternative streaming arrangements.
- Cox Media Group’s WSOC Channel 9 and TV64 will be the Charlotte Hornets’ local broadcast home for the 2026–27 season.
- Stations will air every Hornets regular-season game that is not nationally televised free over the air in the Charlotte market.
Cox Media Group expands television brand portfolio from 15 to 17
Recorded impact score: 3/5
Cox Media Group now delivers 17 high-quality, market-leading television brands in 9 markets, up from 15 previously.
Explore company relationships
Questions about Cox Media Group
What is Cox Media Group?
Cox Media Group is a US local media company that operates television stations, radio stations, digital news properties, and an advertising sales division.
Who uses Cox Media Group?
Advertisers and media agencies use its sales and campaign services, while local audiences consume its TV, radio, and digital news content.
How does Cox Media Group make money?
It mainly makes money by selling advertising across its TV, radio, and digital inventory, plus managed cross-channel campaign services.
Sources & coverage
This profile uses public, official and technically observable information. Missing information does not prove that a product or relationship does not exist. The list below does not imply that every profile statement has been verified.
12 publicly documented primary sources and citations linked across the market graph.
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