Bethesda Magazine

What Bethesda Magazine does

Bethesda Magazine is a regional news publication serving Bethesda, Maryland and the surrounding Montgomery County communities, founded in 2004 and currently owned by Today Media, a diversified regional media group. It publishes a periodic print magazine, the Bethesda Today daily email newsletter, a High School Sports Zone, Breaking News Alerts, an Event Calendar, and obituaries. Coverage spans local news, government and politics, education, public safety, dining, real estate, arts and culture, and community events, with active social channels on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

Beyond core journalism, Bethesda Magazine operates a substantial commercial content business: recurring awards programs (Best of Bethesda, Extraordinary Teen Awards, Women Who Inspire, Top Professionals Cocktail Reception), annual Top Professionals directories across attorneys, dentists, doctors, financial professionals, and real estate producers, Showcase sections (Luxury Apartments/Condos/Townhomes, Kitchen & Bath, Home, Builders & Architects), the Faces of Bethesda editorial series, an annual Insider's Guide, and sponsored partner content from local real estate, legal, healthcare, and home-services businesses. A paid "Support Local Journalism" membership program adds a reader-revenue layer to the traditional advertising model.

The underlying technology stack is conventional for a digital news publisher: a WordPress-based website, email newsletter infrastructure, social media platforms, and a recently surfaced "Ask Bethesda Today AI" homepage search widget. No public API, mobile app, proprietary platform, or disclosed technology partnerships are offered. Headcount is reported in the 11–50 range and revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Bethesda Magazine

Legal name

Bethesda Magazine

Website

https://bethesdamagazine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bethesda Magazine is a regional news publication serving Bethesda, Maryland and Montgomery County, producing a print magazine, the Bethesda Today daily newsletter, and recurring awards, directories, and community events. It is owned by Today Media.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local news and lifestyle media

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)

Keywords

• Local journalism
• Community news
• Lifestyle magazine
• Event coverage
• Professional directory

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethesda

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bethesda Magazine is a hyperlocal news and lifestyle publication serving Bethesda, Maryland and Montgomery County, distributed through a periodic print magazine, the Bethesda Today daily digital news site, free email newsletters, breaking-news alerts, and community events. It monetizes its audience primarily through advertising, sponsored content, professional directories (Top Attorneys, Top Dentists, Top Doctors, Top Financial Professionals, Top Real Estate Producers), and the annual Best of Bethesda awards program, with optional paid print subscriptions and a "Support Local Journalism" membership contribution tier.

Product overview

Bethesda Magazine is a local news publication serving Bethesda, Maryland and Montgomery County, offering both print and digital content. The core product portfolio consists of Bethesda Magazine (the flagship print and digital publication), Bethesda Today (daily news newsletter and website), and a High School Sports Zone. Additional offerings include Breaking News Alerts for urgent updates, the annual Best of Bethesda awards program, Extraordinary Teen Awards, and the Faces of Bethesda editorial series. The publication also maintains a Top Professionals Directory featuring vetted local attorneys, dentists, doctors, financial professionals, and real estate agents, an Event Calendar, an annual Insider's Guide publication, and an Obituaries service. Content spans multiple categories including News, Arts & Culture, Business & Retail, Family & Education, Food & Drink, Government & Politics, Opinion, Public Safety & Justice, Real Estate & Development, and Sports & Recreation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bethesda Magazine (print & digital flagship) Periodic print magazine (with digital edition) delivering comprehensive coverage of Bethesda and Montgomery County including news, restaurants, things to do, arts and culture, business and retail, family and education, food and drink, government and politics, public safety, real estate, and sports. Sold to consumers via paid subscription and distributed to local advertisers and readers.
• Bethesda Today (daily digital news platform) Daily news website and daily email newsletter delivering local news updates and breaking news to subscribers covering Bethesda and Montgomery County government, education, public safety, and community events.
• Breaking News Alerts Subscription-based real-time alert service that notifies subscribers of urgent breaking news stories in the Bethesda and Montgomery County area via email.
• Best of Bethesda (annual awards and directory) Annual reader-voted awards program and directory recognizing the best local businesses, restaurants, and professionals in Bethesda; monetized through category sponsorships, directory listings, and the Best of Bethesda Party event.
• Top Professionals Directory Annual paid directory service featuring vetted local professionals across categories including Top Attorneys, Top Dentists, Top Doctors, Top Financial Professionals, and Top Real Estate Producers, paired with a Top Professionals Cocktail Reception event.
• Insider's Guide (annual publication) Annual print and digital guide providing local recommendations and insider knowledge about Bethesda-area restaurants, activities, and services for residents and visitors.
• High School Sports Zone Dedicated news section covering Montgomery County high school athletics, featuring scores, news, schedules, and feature coverage of local athletic programs for students, parents, and fans.
• Event Calendar Comprehensive local calendar of community events, festivals, concerts, and activities in the Bethesda and Montgomery County area, including a free submission feature for local event organizers.
• Obituaries (listing and submission service) Community obituary listings page with a free submission workflow that allows community members to publish obituaries for local residents.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Washingtonian Magazine: The leading monthly city/regional lifestyle magazine covering the greater Washington DC area, including news, dining, politics, real estate, and Top Professionals directories. Operates an almost identical business model to Bethesda Magazine (print + digital + newsletters + events + Top Professionals directories) in an overlapping metro geography.
• DC Magazine: DC-focused lifestyle publication covering society, dining, real estate, and professional services. Overlaps Bethesda Magazine on the affluent-resident, professional-services, and real-estate-advertising verticals in the same DC metro.
• Washington City Paper: Alternative weekly covering DC-area news, arts, dining, and culture. Directly competes with Bethesda Magazine for affluent DC-metro readership and local advertising dollars, particularly in dining, arts, and lifestyle categories.
• Northern Virginia Magazine: Regional lifestyle magazine serving Northern Virginia communities adjacent to Bethesda. Closely comparable print/digital/events model targeting affluent DC-metro suburbs.
• Baltimore Magazine: Regional city magazine serving the Baltimore metro with city news, dining, real estate, and lifestyle content. Same hyperlocal-regional print+digital+events model as Bethesda Magazine, operating in the broader Maryland media market under the same Today Media group.
• Alexandria Magazine: Local lifestyle publication serving Alexandria, Virginia — another affluent DC-metro suburb — with a similar print/digital format, local news coverage, and community event portfolio.
• What's Up? Annapolis: Regional lifestyle magazine covering Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Operates a comparable print magazine + digital + events model in the broader Maryland regional media market.
• Arlington Magazine: Local lifestyle magazine serving Arlington, Virginia — directly adjacent to Bethesda in the DC metro — with comparable content verticals (news, food, home, schools, real estate) and a similar print/digital/events business model.

Emerging players

• Edible DC: Regional food and drink publication covering the DC metro area. Direct overlap with Bethesda Magazine's Food & Drink vertical and competes for the same dining advertiser base.
• Patch.com (Montgomery County): National hyperlocal digital news network with dedicated Montgomery County coverage. Free, web-native competitor to Bethesda Today that pressures both subscription conversion and digital advertising pricing in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Bethesda_Mag
• Facebookfacebook.com/BethesdaMag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bethesda-magazine
• Instagraminstagram.com/bethesdamagazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Bethesda Magazine