MeatEater

What MeatEater does

MeatEater, Inc. is a privately held, Bozeman, Montana-based outdoor lifestyle media and commerce company founded by Steven Rinella in 2012. It produces and distributes hunting, fishing, conservation, and wild-game-cooking content across a multi-platform footprint that includes a flagship television series entering its 14th season (distributed on YouTube, FAST channels, Tubi, Roku Channel, and linear TV), a podcast network of 17 series across nine feeds, a YouTube channel producing roughly eight hours of video weekly, an editorial/article site, wild-game recipes, and interactive games. The flagship MeatEater Podcast regularly ranks in the top five in sports podcasts.

The company monetizes through three primary revenue streams: (1) media content and licensing/advertising across video, audio, and live touring; (2) e-commerce and retail sales of branded merchandise, apparel, optics, knives, cookbooks, and gear through the MeatEater Store and physical retail locations; and (3) brand partnerships, sponsored content, and agency representation, including a recent exclusive powersports partnership with Can-Am (BRP Inc.) and representation by UTA. MeatEater has built a family of wholly-owned sub-brands covering technical hunting apparel (First Lite), outdoor accessories (FHF Gear), game calls (Phelps Game Calls), and hunting decoys (Dave Smith Decoys, acquired May 2023).

MeatEater operates an omnichannel distribution model combining global content distribution (streaming, podcast platforms, social channels including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok) with a domestic retail footprint of three stores — Bozeman, MT (2024), Brookfield, WI (2025), and Edina, MN (planned August 2026). The company also runs the Land Access Initiative, a conservation program focused on preserving public access for hunters and anglers, including a $200,000 joint matching commitment with onX and Three Rivers Land Trust. Its customer base is the broad population of hunters, anglers, and outdoor recreationists in the United States, supplemented by a global content audience. Headcount is reported at 101–250 employees, and the company has raised at least $50 million in disclosed funding (TCG, October 2019).

Name

MeatEater

Legal name

MeatEater, Inc.

Website

https://themeateater.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

MeatEater is a Bozeman-based outdoor lifestyle media and commerce company that produces hunting, fishing, conservation, and cooking content across TV, podcasts, YouTube, and retail, serving hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts in the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bozeman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Media Content and Licensing: MeatEater generates revenue through producing and distributing video content (TV series, streaming), podcasts, and related media. The company has expanded into brand partnerships and representation agreements.
2. E-commerce and Retail Sales: Revenue from selling branded merchandise, apparel, gear, and products through the MeatEater Store and physical retail locations. Also includes sales from family of brands including First Lite, FHF Gear, Phelps Game Calls, and Dave Smith Decoys.
3. Brand Partnerships and Representation: Revenue through brand partnerships, sponsored content, and agency representation across digital video, audio, brand partnerships, TV, and live touring.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MeatEater produces and distributes a multi-platform slate of outdoor-lifestyle media (flagship TV series, 17-show podcast network, weekly YouTube programming, editorial articles, wild game recipes) targeting hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts. The company monetizes the audience through advertising/sponsorship and operates a direct-to-consumer retail business — an e-commerce store plus physical stores — selling branded merchandise and outdoor gear through wholly owned sub-brands such as First Lite (apparel), FHF Gear (accessories), Phelps Game Calls, and Dave Smith Decoys.

Product overview

MeatEater is a multiplatform outdoor lifestyle and hunting media company built around the flagship 'MeatEater' television and digital video series hosted by Steven Rinella. The company's core offerings include the MeatEater Podcast Network (17 series across 9 feeds), the MeatEater YouTube channel (8 hours of weekly video), written articles and editorial content, wild game recipes, and interactive games. MeatEater has expanded into retail with both physical stores (Bozeman, Brookfield, Edina) and an online store. The company has built a family of brands including First Lite (technical hunting apparel), FHF Gear (outdoor accessories), Phelps Game Calls (game calls), and Dave Smith Decoys (realistic hunting decoys). Additional content includes books and audiobooks by Steven Rinella and conservation initiatives through the Land Access Initiative. The portfolio represents a hunting-focused media ecosystem spanning video, audio, written content, retail, and branded merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• First Lite: Technical hunting apparel including merino wool base layers, hunting jackets, and camo hunting pants
• FHF Gear
• Phelps Game Calls
• Dave Smith Decoys
• MeatEater Network
• 12 in '26
• MeatEater Roasts

Products and services

• MeatEater TV Series The flagship television and digital video series hosted by Steven Rinella, exploring wild places that provide wild foods; distributed across YouTube, FAST channels, Tubi, the Roku Channel, and linear television for hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts.
• MeatEater Podcast Network A network of 17 podcast series across nine feeds hosted by Steven Rinella and other outdoor experts, distributed on major podcast platforms for hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts.
• Articles and Editorial Content Written editorial content covering hunting, fishing, firearms, conservation, wildlife management, recipes, and outdoor lifestyle, contributed by the MeatEater crew and guest experts for the brand's audience of outdoor enthusiasts.
• Wild Game Recipes Recipes and cooking guides for wild game including venison, turkey, duck, and trout, covering butchering, processing, and cooking techniques for hunters and home cooks.
• MeatEater Online Store E-commerce storefront offering MeatEater-branded merchandise including apparel/logo wear, optics, knives, shooting accessories, cookbooks, jerky products, and partner-brand gear for outdoor consumers.
• MeatEater Physical Retail Stores Physical retail locations in Bozeman MT (opened 2024), Brookfield WI (opened 2025), and Edina MN (opening August 2026) serving as both retail destinations and community gathering spaces for hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts.
• First Lite (hunting apparel) Technical hunting apparel brand offering merino wool baselayers, hunting jackets, hunting pants, and accessories for men and women.
• FHF Gear (outdoor accessories) Purpose-built outdoor accessories brand offering bino harnesses, chest rigs, treestand systems, spot-and-stalk systems, and turkey hunting gear.
• Phelps Game Calls Quality game calls for elk, deer, turkey, waterfowl, and predators, including pot calls and mouth calls.
• Dave Smith Decoys Ultra-realistic and durable hunting decoys for turkey, waterfowl, and deer hunting.
• Steven Rinella Books and Audiobooks Published works by Steven Rinella including MeatEater, American Buffalo, That Wild Country, Outdoor Kids in an Inside World, and MeatEater's Campfire Stories Volumes 1 and 2, in print and audiobook formats.

Quantifiable outcome

• The flagship MeatEater Podcast regularly ranks in the top 5 in sports podcasts
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship, major and core.

• PubMaticminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 June 2026MeatEater joined PubMatic's Creator Marketplace as the inaugural launch partner. This is the first programmatic CTV auction connecting independent creator media companies' premium CTV inventory with programmatic and emerging agentic demand. The platform targets the estimated $250 billion creator economy.
• UTA (United Talent Agency)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 May 2026UTA (United Talent Agency) signed Steven Rinella, an influential outdoor-lifestyle creator, and his multiplatform media company MeatEater for representation across digital video, audio, brand partnerships, TV, and live touring. The partnership accompanies MeatEater's entry into production on its 14th season of the flagship series.
• onXmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026MeatEater and onX launched a one-month matching campaign with Three Rivers Land Trust to conserve 4,000 acres along the Tuckertown Reservoir in central North Carolina. Both companies committed $100,000 each in matching funds for a combined $200,000, part of TRLT's broader Save Tuckertown effort. The initiative aims to acquire ALCOA-owned properties to preserve public access for hunters, anglers, and outdoor recreationists.
• Can-Am (BRP Inc.)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 October 2025Can-Am, a brand of BRP Inc., expanded its partnership with MeatEater to become the exclusive powersports partner. The collaboration features Can-Am products in MeatEater content across multiple media platforms and provides vehicles for outdoor pursuits, emphasizing sustainable hunting, outdoor exploration, and promotion of outdoor access and conservation.
• Dave Smith Decoys (DSD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 May 2023Dave Smith Decoys (DSD), a company specializing in realistic hunting decoys based in Oregon, joined the MeatEater family of brands. The acquisition supports DSD's growth, product expansion, and employee benefits while expanding MeatEater's product line and market reach for hunting decoys including turkey, waterfowl, and deer decoys.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Outdoor Life: Long-running hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation media brand (magazine, digital, video). Competes with MeatEater for the same hunters/anglers audience across editorial content, video, and gear recommendations.
• Field & Stream: Iconic hunting and fishing media brand spanning digital, print, video, and gear coverage. Directly competes with MeatEater for hunter/angler attention and adjacent commerce partnerships with outdoor brands.
• Sitka Gear: Technical hunting apparel and gear brand targeting serious western hunters. Closest apparel-side peer to MeatEater's First Lite sub-brand and overlaps with MeatEater's gear-review and brand-partnership content.

Broad incumbents

• Outdoor Sportsman Group: Parent of Sportsman Channel, Outdoor Channel, and related hunting/fishing TV networks and digital properties. A larger incumbent delivering hunting and fishing content at greater scale than MeatEater, though broader and less commerce-integrated.
• Bass Pro Shops: Largest U.S. outdoor retailer with deep hunting/fishing assortment, in-store experiences (e.g., Wonders of Wildlife), and media/content arms. Comparable to MeatEater in combining outdoor media and commerce, but at far greater scale and via a retail-first rather than content-first model.
• ORVIS: Heritage outdoor brand combining fly-fishing/hunting apparel, gear, fly schools, and content. Comparable to MeatEater at the intersection of outdoor retail and educational content, with a longer-retail and broader-angling tilt.
• YETI: Premium outdoor lifestyle brand with adjacent content, film, and conservation partnerships. Comparable to MeatEater in monetizing outdoor brand affinity across products, storytelling, and sponsorships, though at much larger scale and a broader lifestyle rather than hunting niche.

Emerging players

• The Hunting Public: YouTube-native whitetail hunting content brand with merchandise and gear partnerships. Direct competitor for hunter attention and creator-led commerce, leaning into the same DIY/practical hunting ethos as MeatEater.
• Bone Collector: Long-running hunting creator brand (Michael Waddell) spanning video, merch, and pro-staff partnerships with hunting brands. Comparable as a hunting-first media and commerce business competing for sponsor dollars and hunter mindshare.
• onX Hunt: Hunting/fishing/off-road mapping app with active conservation and content programs. A peer in the hunter digital toolset and conservation-marketing space, and a MeatEater partner on the Save Tuckertown matching campaign.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MeatEaterTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/StevenRinellaMeatEater
• Instagraminstagram.com/meateater
• TikToktiktok.com/@the_meateater_crew
• Xx.com/meateatertv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MeatEater