{{short description|Digital media and online publishing company}} {{Infobox company | name = BLOX Digital | logo = | type = Private | industry = Online publishing | predecessor = International Newspaper Network | founded = {{Start date and age|1989}} in Bigfork, Montana, U.S. | founders = {{Unbulleted list|Marc Wilson|Virginia R. Wilson|Robert P. Dalton}} | defunct = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | hq_location_city = East Moline, Illinois | hq_location_country = U.S. | area_served = <!-- or: | areas_served = --> | key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Marc Wilson (chairman)|Brad Ward (CEO)}} | products = BLOX NXT Content Management System | owner = <!-- or: | owners = --> | num_employees = | num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) --> | parent = | website = {{URL|www.bloxdigital.com}} | footnotes = <ref name=about/> }}
'''BLOX Digital''' (formerly '''TownNews.com''') is a digital media and online publishing company based in East Moline, Illinois. The company's products include the '''BLOX NXT Content Management System''', which is commonly used by American newspaper websites. In February 2023, TownNews rebranded as BLOX Digital.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ward |first=Brad |date=27 January 2023 |title=A message to our customers regarding our rebrand to BLOX Digital |url=https://www.bloxdigital.com/resources/news/a-message-to-our-customers-regarding-our-rebrand-to-blox-digital/article_621a7dfe-a185-11ed-85c9-272fb41bcd30.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250211092539/https://www.bloxdigital.com/resources/news/a-message-to-our-customers-regarding-our-rebrand-to-blox-digital/article_621a7dfe-a185-11ed-85c9-272fb41bcd30.html |archive-date=11 February 2025 |access-date=8 May 2023 |website=BLOX Digital |language=en}}</ref> As of 2025, Lee Enterprises has a "82.5% interest in INN Partners, L.C. ('BLOX Digital' formerly 'TownNews')",<ref>{{Cite web |last=Millage |first=Timothy R. |date=February 7, 2025 |orig-date=For The Quarterly Period Ended December 29, 2024 |title=FORM 10-Q: QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/58361/000162828025004469/lee-20241229.htm |access-date=2025-09-26 |website=SEC.gov |publisher=UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION |publication-place=Washington, D.C. |id=Commission File Number 1-6227 |agency=LEE ENTERPRISES, INCORPORATED (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.: 42-0823980)}}</ref> and labels it as its "Software as a Service ('SaaS') division".<ref>{{Cite press release |title=TownNews, top digital content management system (CMS) provider for media organizations, rebrands as BLOX Digital: Change reflects rapid growth of the leading provider of digital solutions for media organizations and expansion into attractive new markets |date=February 6, 2023 <!-- ET: 08:00 --> |location=DAVENPORT, Iowa and EAST MOLINE, Ill. |last1=BLOX Digital |last2=Lee Enterprises |id=COMTEX_423951103/2010/2023-02-06T08:00:02. {{Factiva|PZON000020230206ej260002i}}. {{NewsBank text|18F87A7A5497B698}}. |agency=GlobeNewswire (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)}} Available from: Lee Enterprises, Inc. ([https://investors.lee.net/news-releases/news-release-details/townnews-top-digital-content-management-system-cms-provider HTML], [https://investors.lee.net/node/18071/pdf PDF]), ''Dow Jones Institutional News''<!-- "ET: 08:00" and "February 06, 2023 08:01 ET (13:01 GMT)" on Factiva; " February 06, 2023 08:00 ET (13:00 GMT)" on ProQuest --> ({{Factiva|DJDN000020230206ej26001yb}}, {{ProQuest|2773494747}}), ''NASDAQ OMX's News Release Distribution Channel'' ({{ProQuest|2772968944}}), ''News Bites US - NASDAQ'' ({{ProQuest|2773333402}}).</ref>
==History== The company was founded by Marc Wilson, Virginia R. Wilson, and Robert P. Dalton as the '''International Newspaper Network''' (INN) in 1989 to help newspapers deal with developing technology.<ref name=about>{{cite web |title=About Us |website=TownNews.com |url=https://www.townnews365.com/about/ |access-date=7 August 2017 }}</ref> {{As of|2025|post=,}} over 2,000 newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and TV stations use BLOX Digital's products.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Digital |first=BLOX |title=About BLOX Digital |url=https://www.bloxdigital.com/about/ |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=BLOX Digital |language=en}}</ref>
==Products== The company's lead product is the BLOX NXT content management system (CMS), launched in April 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-03 |title=BLOX NXT Unveiled: The future of content management is here |url=https://www.bloxdigital.com/resources/news/blox-nxt-unveiled-the-future-of-content-management-is-here/article_5b257cdd-8fb6-4223-85d5-5984923bb26e.html |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=BLOX Digital |language=en}}</ref> As the company's flagship platform, it replaces the original BLOX Content Management System and is designed to meet the needs of media organizations, newspaper publishers, broadcasters of television and radio, and other content-driven businesses. BLOX NXT integrates tools for content creation, audience engagement, data analytics, and digital advertising into a unified system.
The BLOX NXT platform features AI-powered content creation assistance, providing real-time feedback on SEO, headline optimization, and content scoring, as well as audience engagement tools to enhance user targeting and retention.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-23 |title=Transform your content strategy with BLOX NXT's integrated AI |url=https://www.bloxdigital.com/resources/news/transform-your-content-strategy-with-blox-nxt-s-integrated-ai/article_b25eb660-cf9a-4f16-8e95-c3108a632c78.html |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=BLOX Digital |language=en}}</ref>
==Acquisitions== Over the years, BLOX Digital has acquired various organizations, most notably Field59,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-03-27 |title=TownNews strengthens video offerings with Field59 acquisition |url=https://www.bloxdigital.com/resources/news/townnews-strengthens-video-offerings-with-field59-acquisition/article_c72c3841-54bc-572f-a9d1-7d22918647e7.html |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=BLOX Digital |language=en}}</ref> ZWire,<ref name=":0">{{Cite press release |title=TownNews.com Acquires ZWire and AdQuest |date=February 15, 2006 |location=MOLINE, Ill. |quote=TownNews.com and PowerOne Media jointly announced today that TownNews.com is purchasing ZWire, AdQuest and a national advertising network from PowerOne Media. [...] Lee Enterprises is one of PowerOne Media's owners. |last1=PowerOne Media |last2=TownNews.com |last3=Lee Enterprises |id={{Factiva|BWR0000020060215e22f00cw2}}. {{Gale|A142112247}}. {{NewsBank text|10FD2922055A50C8}}. {{ProQuest|445280553}}. |agency=Business Wire}} Available from: Lee Enterprises, Inc. ([https://investors.lee.net/news-releases/news-release-details/townnewscom-acquires-zwire-and-adquest HTML], [https://investors.lee.net/node/7706/pdf PDF]), [https://qctimes.com/business/article_8e27fbdf-9e96-53e6-afd6-02cca3abe022.html ''The Quad-City Times'' (Feb 16, 2006)].</ref> AdQuest,<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite news |date=16 February 2006 |agency=Associated Press |title= TownNews acquires additional businesses |newspaper=Globe Gazette |location=Mason City, IA |url=http://globegazette.com/business/townnews-acquires-additional-businesses/article_cffd4de1-0f64-563b-942d-55a50e09e334.html }}</ref> Anytime News,<ref>{{cite magazine |date=2 March 2001 |title=TownNews.com Adds Anytime News to Network |magazine=Editor & Publisher |url=https://www.editorandpublisher.com/news/townnews-com-adds-anytime-news-to-network/ }}</ref> and DotConnect Media (formerly AdOne and PowerOne Media).<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Real Cities Network and DotConnect Media Announce Partnership; Expanded Network of More Than 1,400 Local Newspaper Websites Will Reach 43 Million Unique Visitors Monthly |date=25 July 2007 <!-- ET 16:22 --> |location=RALEIGH, N.C. |quote=Founded as AdOne in 1998 and acquired by Lee Enterprises in March 2006, DotConnect is the nation's oldest and most extensive network of local online media sites. |last1=The McClatchy Company |id=200707251622PR_NEWS_USPR_____AQW178.xml. {{Gale|A166792794}}. {{Factiva|PRN0000020070725e37p009f6}}. {{NewsBank text|11AA26B99D15F7F8}}. {{ProQuest|453382882}}. |agency=PR Newswire /PRNewswire-FirstCall/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release |title=New National Advertising Network Will Link 1,550 Newspaper Websites from Coast to Coast |date=1 May 2006 <!-- ET 16:30 --> |quote=DotConnect Media, an expansion of the former PowerOne Media advertising network by Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (NYSE:LEE), uses a network of 1,100 daily and weekly newspapers hosted by its subsidiary TownNews, combined with 450 newspapers formerly hosted by ZWire. TownNews acquired ZWire from PowerOne Media in March. |last1=DotConnect Media |id={{Factiva|BWR0000020060501e251009ko}}. {{Gale|A145184339}}. {{NewsBank text|1115DE66B4D2B480}}. {{ProQuest|445238844}}. |agency=Business Wire}}</ref>
==See also== * Cxense
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|https://www.bloxdigital.com/}}
Category:Publishing companies established in 1989 Category:Online publishing companies of the United States Category:Newspaper companies of the United States Category:Software companies based in Illinois Category:Business software companies Category:Companies based in Rock Island County, Illinois Category:Software companies of the United States