In a step that gives publicly traded Townsquare Media access to advertising opportunities in a large market adjacent to one of its own longtime radio and online hubs, the company led by CEO Bill Wilson has forged a strategic digital advertising partnership with Kroenke Sports and entertainment.
Known colloquially as KSE, the Stan Kroenke-founded entity owns four rated radio stations in Denver: KXKL “Kool 105,” KIMN “Mix 100,” and Altitude Sports siblings KKSE-AM & FM.
In the neighboring Fort Collins-Greeley, Colo., Townsquare Media has a formidable presence and it has been one of the “Local First” company’s most important markets, ranked No. 105 by Nielsen Audio. Here, Townsquare stations include Country KUAD-FM, Classic Hits KTRR-FM, Hot Adult Contemporary KKPL-FM, and Rock KMAX-FM, the latter of which also reaches Cheyenne, Wyo.
Denver is the No. 18-ranked market, and the partnership puts Townsquare Media in its biggest DMA to date, although it will not operate the KSE radio stations in any way.
Rather, as Shaun Collignon, Chief Revenue Officer of Townsquare Ignite, the company’s Digital Advertising division, explains, his division’s data-driven platform, strategy and execution capabilities will be integrated with the digital assets associated with KSE’s stations. “We’re enabling KSE to scale its digital offering and drive stronger, more measurable results for its clients. This partnership is a powerful example of how media companies can evolve and win in a performance-driven marketplace.”
The partnership is a result of the Media Partnerships division of Townsquare Media, launched in 2024. Within Townsquare Media’s Digital Advertising segment (a.k.a. Townsquare Ignite), Media Partnerships pacts provide a white-label service that equips other local media companies with the digital advertising tools Townsquare uses across its stations.
The alliance with KSE is one of the recently announced 11 partners that Townsquare now has.
KSE Radio Sr. VP/GM Joel Clary commented, “We are very excited to partner with Townsquare and launch our new Digital Solutions arm, KSE Digital. After exhaustive research and from personal experience working with Townsquare Ignite for 6+ years, I concluded Townsquare Ignite is absolutely best-in-class and fully committed to digital growth. They have a truly outstanding team and we couldn’t be happier for the prospects of our partnership. Kroenke Sports and Entertainment is excited to partner with Townsquare Ignite for all of our entertainment assets in the Denver market. Townsquare has the best digital solutions in the radio industry and a proven track record of delivering great results to clients.”
