Cricket Media

What Cricket Media does

Cricket Media, founded in 1973 and headquartered in McLean, Virginia, is a private education media company that develops award-winning print magazines, digital platforms, streaming video, audiobooks, eMentoring programs, and content licensing services for children and families. Its core product portfolio comprises nine magazine brands covering children ages 0–14 (BABYBUG, LADYBUG, SPIDER, CRICKET, plus the former ASK, CLICK, MUSE, FACES, COBBLESTONE titles), the Sensical free kids streaming app and CTV/FAST channels, the Reading Stars mobile reading app, and a 100,000+ asset Digital Asset Library (DAL) powered by Widen for licensing to EdTech, publishers, assessment developers, and AI learning companies. The CricketTogether and TryEngineering Together eMentoring programs connect corporate-sponsor volunteers with students in grades 3–8 through a COPPA-compliant secure platform moderated by teachers.

The business model is multi-stream. Consumer revenue comes from magazine subscriptions (annual billing), a freemium Reading Stars app, and audiobook sales via Audible. Institutional revenue is generated by bulk classroom magazine sales at $15.99 per subscription for 20+ copies and standards-aligned curriculum units. Enterprise revenue flows from corporate eMentoring sponsorships (15+ named sponsors including ADP, TIAA, Hitachi, Centene, Ansys) and from B2B content licensing against the DAL, including rights for AI-driven learning solutions. Sensical monetizes through a proprietary contextual ad network across CTV, FAST, and YouTube. Distribution spans owned storefronts on Shopify, iOS/Android app stores, Amazon Prime Video Channels, Audible, and a global licensing channel. Cricket Media Services, Inc. is the parent entity; Cricket Media, Inc. is the operating subsidiary, with wholly-owned subsidiaries including In2Books, ePals, NeuLingo/Cricket eLearning, and the CricketTogether platform. No external investor or parent-company ownership is disclosed.

Name

Cricket Media

Legal name

Cricket Media, Inc.

Website

https://cricketmedia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cricket Media is a private education media company that produces award-winning children's magazines, the Sensical streaming platform, Reading Stars app, audiobooks, eMentoring programs, and a 100,000+ asset Digital Asset Library. It serves families, schools, corporate sponsors, and EdTech licensing partners globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Educational Media

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Periodical Publishers (513120), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Digital & Interactive Publishing (E-books, Apps, Enhanced Content) (MPAJAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s Subscription & Book Club Publishing (MPAJAFAO), E-book Retail & Reading Platforms (Stores, Apps, Devices) (MPAJAMAA), Audiobook Retail & Subscription Platforms (Direct-to-Consumer) (MPAJAIAD), Children’s Nonfiction Publishing (MPAJAFAE)

Keywords

• Children's educational magazines
• Kids streaming platform
• Reading app literacy
• EMentoring programs
• Educational content licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Mclean

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Print magazine subscriptions for children ages 0-14 including Babybug, Ladybug, Spider, Cricket, Ask, Click, Muse, Cobblestone, and Faces. Sold directly to consumers and in bulk to schools/institutions at $15.99/subscription for 20+ copies.
2. Streaming Video (Sensical): Free streaming platform with thousands of age-appropriate videos curated by child development experts. Revenue generated through advertising via proprietary contextual ad network across CTV, FAST, and YouTube.
3. Digital Apps (Reading Stars): Interactive reading app featuring Cricket's Lexile-matched books, quizzes, and gamified rewards for building reading skills.
4. Audiobooks: Audiobook sales and streaming through Audible and other platforms, featuring Cricket's award-winning stories in screen-free format.
5. eMentoring Programs: CricketTogether and TryEngineering Together programs sponsored by corporations whose employees serve as volunteer eMentors. Programs are free to schools; revenue generated through corporate sponsorships.
6. Content Licensing: Licensing of 100,000+ content assets to EdTech platforms, educational publishers, assessment developers, AI learning companies, and book publishers worldwide. Flexible licensing including worldwide rights, multi-year terms, various formats.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cricket Media produces and distributes award-winning children's educational media across multiple formats: print magazines for ages 0–14 (Babybug, Ladybug, Spider, Cricket), the Sensical free kids' streaming app and CTV/FAST channels, the Reading Stars interactive reading app, Cricket Audiobooks (via Audible), and CricketTogether and TryEngineering Together eMentoring programs for grades 3–8. It also licenses more than 100,000 rights-cleared content assets through its Digital Asset Library to EdTech platforms, publishers, and AI-driven learning companies.

Product overview

Cricket Media is a multi-platform kids and family media company offering print magazines, streaming video, digital apps, audiobooks, eMentoring programs, and content licensing. The core product portfolio includes award-winning magazines spanning ages 0–14 (BABYBUG, LADYBUG, SPIDER, CRICKET, and consolidated former titles ASK, CLICK, MUSE, FACES, COBBLESTONE), the Sensical streaming video platform with CTV/FAST channels, the Reading Stars mobile reading app, Cricket Audiobooks, CricketTogether/TryEngineering Together eMentoring programs, and a Digital Asset Library for content licensing. The company also operates ePals Global Community, Cricket eLearning (NeuLingo), and offers institutional classroom magazine sales and advertising/sponsorship opportunities. Products are distributed via company-owned channels (websites, apps) and third-party platforms including Amazon (Prime Video Channels, Audible), Shopify e-commerce, and mobile app stores.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CricketTogether: Literacy eMentoring program connecting students in grades 3-8 with volunteer eMentors through safe online correspondence
• TryEngineering Together
• Sensical
• Reading Stars
• NeuLingo
• ePals
• News-O-Matic
• Babybug
• Ladybug
• Spider
• Cricket
• ASK
• Click
• Cobblestone
• Faces
• Muse

Products and services

• Babybug Magazine Award-winning print magazine for babies and toddlers ages 0–3 featuring rich vocabulary, enchanting artwork, fingerplays, games, and simple activities designed for reading aloud together with caregivers.
• Ladybug Magazine Print magazine for ages 3–6 featuring captivating read-aloud stories, poetry, nonfiction, and hands-on activities; now expanded to include former Click content.
• Spider Magazine Print magazine for emerging readers ages 6–9 featuring richly illustrated stories, poems, folk tales, comics, activities, and nonfiction; now expanded to include former Ask content.
• Cricket Magazine Award-winning literary magazine for ages 9–14 featuring fiction, nonfiction, poetry, STEM discoveries, and art from acclaimed writers and illustrators; now expanded to include former Muse, Faces, and Cobblestone content.
• Sensical Streaming Platform Free, kids-safe streaming app and CTV/FAST channel network featuring thousands of age-appropriate videos curated by child development experts (not algorithms), organized by age and topic, with parental controls.
• Reading Stars App Interactive mobile reading app helping children build reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, featuring thousands of Lexile-matched books, quizzes, and daily rewards to encourage reading habits.
• Cricket Audiobooks Audiobook library bringing Cricket magazine stories to life through immersive narration; features screen-free listening, diverse content, and educational alignment, distributed through Audible and Amazon.
• CricketTogether eMentoring 1:1 eMentoring program connecting adult volunteers with students in grades 3–5 through online letter exchanges about curated reading content; free for schools, with corporate sponsor support.
• TryEngineering Together eMentoring STEM-focused eMentoring program in partnership with IEEE, connecting engineering professionals with students in grades 3–8 through reading and correspondence about STEM topics.
• Content Licensing (Digital Asset Library) Licensing of Cricket Media's 100,000+ content assets including stories, articles, illustrations, and nonfiction to publishing, EdTech, AI, and consumer product partners worldwide via the Widen-powered platform with flexible worldwide and multi-year licensing terms.
• NeuLingo Children's language learning platform offering 1:1 and group online tutoring sessions, operated under Cricket eLearning.
• ePals Global Community Global learning community connecting classrooms and students internationally for collaborative projects, with moderated user-generated content.
• Classroom Bulk Magazine Program Institutional sales of print Cricket magazines at discounted pricing ($15.99 per subscription for 20+ copies) for classroom use, with standards alignment to Common Core, NGSS, C3, and NHES.

Quantifiable outcome

• 63% improvement in students self-reporting being 'good' or 'very good' at reading; 69% improvement in students self-reporting being 'good' or 'very good' at writing
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• News-O-MaticcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026Content licensing partnership bringing News-O-Matic's award-winning daily news content for kids into Cricket Media's licensing library. Enhances Cricket's nonfiction offerings with timely, age-appropriate current events content for education publishers, EdTech platforms, and AI learning solutions.
• IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for TryEngineering Together STEM eMentoring program. IEEE partners with Cricket Media to provide STEM professional eMentors for students in grades 3-8, emphasizing engineering careers and applications.
• MENTORsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in response to COVID-19 pandemic, partnership with MENTOR provides Virtual Mentoring Portals supporting mentoring organizations seeking online solutions to safely connect mentors and mentees.
• Hopewell Fund / Learning Together Project FundsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner501(c)(3) donation path enabling tax-deductible charitable contributions to support CricketTogether eMentoring programs for underserved students.
• ADPsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor providing employee volunteers as eMentors through the CricketTogether platform.
• AnsyssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor supporting TryEngineering Together STEM eMentoring with employee volunteers.
• AppFiresupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor providing employee volunteers for eMentoring programs.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of San JosesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentoring organization partner collaborating on Virtual Mentoring Portals initiative.
• Farmers InsurancesupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor providing employee volunteers as eMentors through CricketTogether.
• HitachisupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor supporting eMentoring programs with employee volunteers.
• Learning.comsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor providing employee volunteers for eMentoring programs.
• QuinlysupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor providing employee volunteers for eMentoring programs.
• TenarissupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor supporting eMentoring programs with employee volunteers.
• AerosupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor for CricketTogether eMentoring program.
• TIAAsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor providing employee volunteers for eMentoring programs.
• The Great CoursessupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor (The Great Courses / Wondrium) supporting eMentoring with employee volunteers. CEO Paul Suijk quoted on program value.
• CentenesupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor for CricketTogether eMentoring program.
• United Way of Midland CountysupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity organization partner supporting eMentoring programs.
• WondriumsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor (Wondrium / The Great Courses) providing employee volunteers for eMentoring.
• CotivitisupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor for CricketTogether eMentoring program.
• WestDigisupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor supporting eMentoring programs.
• EpsilonsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor for CricketTogether eMentoring program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Common Sense Media: Common Sense Media is the leading independent children's media review and ratings organization. Connected to Cricket via the February 2025 acquisition of Common Sense Networks, and adjacent as a complementary trusted-content authority in the kids media ecosystem.

Direct peers

• TIME for Kids: TIME for Kids produces news and nonfiction magazines for K-6 students with classroom subscription model. Comparable to Cricket's institutional magazine sales to schools and to News-O-Matic's age-appropriate daily news content now in Cricket's library.
• Ranger Rick (National Wildlife Federation): Ranger Rick publishes nature-focused children's magazines (Ranger Rick, Ranger Rick Jr., Ranger Rick Cub) with subscription model for ages 0-12. Closely comparable to Cricket's Spider and Cricket magazines in age targeting, parent-paid subscription economics, and nature/science nonfiction content.
• National Geographic Kids: National Geographic Kids publishes award-winning children's magazines (Nat Geo Kids) and digital content focused on nature, science, and culture. Directly comparable to Cricket's nonfiction magazines like Cobblestone, Ask, and Click, with similar brand authority and educational positioning.
• Highlights for Children: Highlights is a direct competitor publishing Highlights, High Five, and Hello magazines for children, with similar age-segmented subscription model and decades-long brand heritage. Highly comparable to Cricket's magazine subscription business, target demographic (0-12), and parent-trusted positioning.

Emerging players

• Epic!: Epic! is a digital reading platform for kids 12 and under with 40,000+ books, audiobooks, and learning videos. Comparable to Cricket's Reading Stars app and audiobook offerings as a subscription-based digital reading platform, with broader library but less curated editorial control.
• Newsela: Newsela licenses leveled nonfiction content to K-12 schools and EdTech platforms, with AI-driven reading level adaptation. Comparable to Cricket's Digital Asset Library business model, content licensing to EdTech/AI partners, and Lexile-tagged nonfiction offerings.
• Khan Academy Kids: Khan Academy Kids is a free, well-funded digital learning app for ages 2-8 covering literacy, math, and SEL. Comparable to Cricket's Reading Stars app as a digital reading/literacy platform for young children, though positioned as free vs. Cricket's freemium model.

Broad incumbents

• Scholastic: Scholastic is a large, established children's book publisher and classroom magazine operator (Scholastic News, Storyworks) serving schools and families. Comparable to Cricket as a major children's educational content company with magazine, book, and digital products, though broader in scale and more diversified into book fairs and book clubs.
• PBS Kids: PBS Kids is the public broadcaster's children's media brand offering free TV, streaming, apps, and educational games trusted by parents. Comparable to Cricket's Sensical streaming platform as a child-safe, ad-supported educational video destination, though PBS Kids has significantly greater brand recognition and free content scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cricketmediainc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLQKAU3PVgMbVVQpXRyG9WA
• Facebookfacebook.com/cricketmedia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cricketmedia
• Instagraminstagram.com/cricketmediainc
• Pinterestpinterest.com/CricketMediainc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Cricket Media