x
x
Jacksonville's DMA bridges Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, reaching about 1.5 million residents with a mix of coastal urban centers, military hubs, and rural counties. Logistics, healthcare, fintech, and port-driven industries influence newsroom priorities, while Naval Station Mayport, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, and the Jacksonville Jaguars anchor audience demand for defense, transportation, and sports coverage.
Tegna’s First Coast News duopoly (WTLV NBC 12/WJXX ABC 25) shares studios in Southbank, while Cox Media Group runs WFOX 30 and WJAX CBS 47 with Action News Jax, delivering daypart newscasts, severe weather, and investigative features. Graham Media’s independent WJXT News4JAX leads digital streaming and FAST channel experiments, and public broadcaster WJCT covers civic innovation and arts.
Defense beat reporters coordinate closely with Navy media officers to provide deployment updates, hurricane readiness information, and on-base event coverage. Community broadcasters syndicate programs to Kings Bay, Gainesville, and Brunswick, ensuring service members and their families receive localized news, benefits briefings, and education resources.
Population growth along Interstate 95 and Interstate 10 corridors expands the footprint into fast-growing counties like St. Johns, Clay, and Nassau, increasing demand for suburban zoning, transportation, and school board coverage. Audience segmentation reflects coastal retiree enclaves, downtown millennials, and bilingual households tied to Latin American trade partners.
Sports programming around the Jacksonville Jaguars, Florida-Georgia rivalry, and Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp MiLB team fuels cross-platform sponsorships, while regional tourism campaigns highlight Amelia Island, historic St. Augustine, and riverfront redevelopment projects.
Jaguars game days, the Florida-Georgia Classic, and Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp broadcasts lift ratings across FOX 30, CBS 47, and ESPN radio affiliates. Naval Station Mayport and Fleet Readiness Center audiences consume Armed Forces Network streams alongside local coverage for deployment ceremonies, air shows, and community partnerships.
Approximately 60% of households subscribe to two or more OTT platforms, while over-the-air viewing grows in exurban counties where fiber buildouts lag. Morning and late-evening local news outperform national averages, and Cox Media Group reports double-digit growth for connected TV advertising tied to Action News Jax FAST channels.
| Indicator | Latest Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| DMA population | approximately 1.5 million (2024) | Nielsen DMA Rankings |
| DMA market rank | Rank 49 (Nielsen 2024) | Nielsen DMA Rankings |
| Streaming household penetration | approximately 60% | eMarketer 2024 |
| Military population share | approximately 8% of households | U.S. Defense Statistics 2023 |
| Local news viewership | approximately 35% of TV households | Nielsen Audio 2024 |
Military-connected households trust WJXT, WJCT, and Navy-run outlets for hurricane readiness, base access updates, and mental health resources. Defense-focused podcasts and newsletters from First Coast News and Military Times supplement command briefings, helping sailors and families navigate relocation, education, and benefits decisions.
Sports programming remains the top driver of primetime reach, with Jaguars, Suns, and college football coverage extending into shoulder programming on radio and streaming. Family entertainment, faith-based shows, and kids’ blocks on PBS and cable networks deliver loyal audiences across suburban and military neighborhoods, reinforcing advertiser demand for multi-channel campaigns.
