27 News NOW - WKOW is a local news and weather utility serving the Madison, Wisconsin market. It differentiates itself through specialized 'StormTrack' weather forecasting and deep coverage of regional sports teams like the Badgers and Packers. Despite a high cumulative rating, the app is currently facing a sentiment crisis due to technical instability and poor ad implementation.
Product velocity
Unknown
Daily rank 🇺🇸
#190
News · free
Sentiment
4.5
794 reviews
Nemesis
Channel 3000 News
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
For Residents of Madison and South Central Wisconsin seeking localized news, weather, and sports updates.
Key features
Localized weather forecasting and tracking for the South Central Wisconsin community
Dedicated coverage of local teams including Badgers, Packers, Brewers, and high school sports
Access to live news broadcasts and video content directly within the app
How much does it cost?
The app is a free utility designed to extend the station's broadcast reach and capture digital ad revenue.
Velocity
Who built it?
Allen Media Broadcasting
13+ apps tracked · News
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27StormTrack
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Storm Team 10 - WTHI WeatherUser Sentiment
What do users think recently?
The recent review mood reads frustrated. Users appreciate local news content, but report technical stability and performance.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- Local News Content
Unlock 1 more frustration theme, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for 27 News NOW - WKOW
How's the News market?
The rivals identified
By Morgan Murphy Media
Channel 3000 (WISC-TV) is the dominant local news leader in the Madison market, competing directly for the same South Central Wisconsin audience with a nearly identical feature set.
- Deeply integrated local lifestyle content through 'Madison Magazine' partnerships
- Superior technical stability with fewer reported crashes compared to WKOW
- Higher volume of daily local video clips and digital-first reporting
Unlock the head-to-head verdict: where this rival wins, and where it loses.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for 27 News NOW - WKOW
Where is it heading?
- Upset mood label driven by high-frequency technical stability complaints.
- Broken deep-linking for notifications directly impacting user retention.
- Recent updates focused only on 'bug fixes' without addressing core UX failures reported by users.
The SWOT
- Comprehensive regional sports coverage (Packers/Brewers/Badgers)
- Strong 'StormTrack' weather brand recognition
- High volume of App Store ratings
- Stabilize live stream to disrupt Channel 3000's market lead
- Expand hyper-local high school sports reporting
Next best moves
Fix notification deep-linking architecture
+ 2 more prioritized movesFeature gaps
Integrated local lifestyle content (available in Channel 3000 via Madison Magazine) +2
Bottom line
WKOW has a strong content moat in regional sports and weather, but it is currently leaking users to Channel 3000 and NewsBreak due to a broken technical experience. If the PM does not prioritize fixing the notification-to-story pipeline and general stability, the app's high rating will continue to be eroded by its 'Upset' user base.
Unlock 3 critical frictions, 2 market threats, 2 more prioritized moves and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeReport last updated