What Live Science does

Live Science is a digital-first science news publication operated by Future US Inc, a subsidiary of the publicly listed UK media group Future plc. Headquartered in New York, the site publishes editorial coverage across seven primary verticals — Animals, Archaeology, Health, Planet Earth, Space, Physics & Mathematics, and Technology — through news articles, in-depth features and opinion pieces. The content operation is built on a conventional CMS-driven publishing platform with broad taxonomy depth (subcategories down to specific species, ancient cultures and physics subfields), an RSS feed, and active distribution across Facebook, X, Reddit, Pinterest and Flipboard.

The business is monetized through three revenue streams: display and programmatic advertising, affiliate commissions on outbound commerce links (especially in the Product Reviews section covering health/fitness, optics, STEM toys and tech gadgets), and subscription revenue via the Live Science Plus premium membership. Live Science Plus offers member-only newsletters, competitions with prizes, premium articles and videos, early access, private forums and monthly rewards, and reports 25,000+ active members. Multiple branded newsletters (Daily, Life's Little Mysteries, How It Works, Watch This Space, Night Sky This Week) extend owned-audience reach, and interactive products such as Live Science Quizzes and Science Crosswords layer gamified engagement on top of the editorial core.

Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and global, with consumers reached through SEO, organic social, email and syndication; pricing for the premium tier is not publicly disclosed. Editorial leadership combines specialist editors (e.g., Channel Editor, Technology) and PhD-level subject writers, supported by a freelance contributor community that supplies additional coverage. The publication has no disclosed standalone financials, operates within Future plc's diversified media portfolio, and competes in a crowded consumer science-content category that includes both legacy publishers and new AI-influenced entrants.

Name

Live Science

Legal name

Future US Inc

Website

https://livescience.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Live Science is a digital-first consumer science news publication operated by Future US Inc (Future plc), covering space, health, archaeology, animals, technology and physics via its website, newsletters, and a paid premium membership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Science News Publication

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Popular Science, Technology & Nature Trade Publishing (MPAJAAAJ)

Keywords

• Science journalism
• Digital publishing
• Premium membership
• Science newsletters
• Interactive science content

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription/Membership: Live Science Plus premium membership offering exclusive features including member-only content, competitions, early access, private forums, and monthly rewards. Subscription-based recurring revenue model.
2. Advertising: The site earns affiliate commissions through links in articles and displays advertisements to site visitors.
3. Affiliate Advertising: When readers purchase through links on the site, the company earns an affiliate commission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Live Science is a digital science news publication that publishes journalism and feature articles across topics including Animals, Archaeology, Health, Planet Earth, Space, Physics & Mathematics, and Technology. It operates a freemium model with free article access and a paid Live Science Plus premium membership offering exclusive newsletters, competitions, premium articles and videos, early access, private forums, and monthly rewards.

Product overview

Live Science is a science news publication platform operated by Future US Inc, offering a unified website that publishes science journalism across multiple topic channels (Animals, Archaeology, Health, Planet Earth, Space, Physics & Mathematics, and Technology). The core product is supported by a premium subscription membership called Live Science Plus, which provides exclusive content, early access, forums, and member competitions. The publication distributes content through multiple branded email newsletters including the Daily Newsletter, Life's Little Mysteries, How It Works, Space.com, Watch This Space, and Night Sky This Week. Additional offerings include interactive content such as science quizzes and games, plus product reviews and recommendations across categories including health/fitness, optics, STEM toys, and tech gadgets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Science Website The main Live Science website serving as a science news publication covering topics including Animals, Archaeology, Health, Planet Earth, Space, Physics & Mathematics, and Technology. Free to access with editorial content and features for general science readers.
• Live Science Plus Premium membership offering exclusive features including member-only newsletters, competitions with prizes, premium articles and videos, early access to new features, private forums, and monthly rewards. Membership claims 25K+ active members and provides 24/7 access.
• Daily Newsletter Daily email newsletter delivering the latest discoveries, groundbreaking research, and fascinating breakthroughs directly to subscribers' inboxes.
• Life's Little Mysteries Newsletter Weekly newsletter featuring an exclusive mystery solved with science, delivered to subscribers before publication elsewhere.
• How It Works Newsletter Free weekly science and technology newsletter featuring fascinating articles, quick quizzes, and amazing images.
• Space.com Newsletter Daily newsletter covering breaking space news, latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events, and astrophotos.
• Watch This Space Newsletter Monthly entertainment newsletter covering sci-fi and space movies, TV shows, games, and books.
• Night Sky This Week Newsletter Newsletter covering weekly night sky events, moon phases, and stunning astrophotos for skywatching enthusiasts.
• Science Quizzes and Games Interactive science challenges including Live Science Quizzes (quick fun science challenges) and Science Crosswords (brain-teasing puzzles), with gamification through badge-earning system.
• Product Reviews and Recommendations Product review content covering health and fitness, optics, STEM toys and games, and tech gadgets, with affiliate links to recommended products.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Future US Incparent companyOthersLive Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Future plc is the parent company overseeing Live Science and other science publications.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Science News: Science News (published by the Society for Science) covers breakthroughs across science disciplines for a lay audience. It competes directly with Live Science in science journalism, newsletter products, and member-supported digital publishing.
• IFLScience: IFLScience is a digital popular science publication focused on quirky, accessible science content with strong social media distribution. It competes directly with Live Science for casual science readers and advertising-supported traffic.
• Phys.org: Phys.org is a science news aggregator covering physics, space, technology, health, and earth sciences. It directly competes with Live Science in SEO, science journalism, and ad-supported discovery of research breakthroughs.
• ScienceDaily: ScienceDaily is a science news aggregator that pulls from major research institutions and universities. It is a direct peer of Live Science in the digital popular science news category, competing on SEO traffic and ad revenue.
• Space.com: Space.com is a sister publication under Future US Inc / Future plc, covering space, astronomy, and astrophysics news. It shares parent-company infrastructure with Live Science and is a direct peer in digital science publishing with overlap on space coverage and newsletter products.
• Popular Science: Popular Science is a legacy popular science magazine operating as a digital publication, covering technology, DIY, science, and environment. It directly competes with Live Science for general-interest science readers and advertising dollars.
• ScienceAlert: ScienceAlert is a digital-first popular science publication covering health, space, technology, and the environment. It is a direct competitor to Live Science in SEO-driven science news and social distribution of science content.
• New Scientist: New Scientist is a leading popular science magazine and digital publication covering breakthroughs across disciplines. It is a direct competitor to Live Science in mainstream science news, premium subscriptions, and newsletter-driven audience monetization.
• Scientific American: Scientific American is a long-established popular science publication covering health, space, technology, and environment for general audiences. It directly competes with Live Science for science-curious readers, SEO traffic, and premium subscription revenue.

Broad incumbents

• National Geographic Science: National Geographic is a major science and exploration media brand operated by The Walt Disney Company. Its science section competes with Live Science for premium science content, branded storytelling, and advertising, though as a broader portfolio brand rather than a science-only outlet.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LiveScience
• Facebookfacebook.com/livescience

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Live Science