Secret Media Network

What Secret Media Network does

Secret Media Network is a hyper-local digital media company that publishes city-specific editorial guides across 120+ cities worldwide, including Secret NYC, Secret London, Paris Secret, Madrid Secreto, and Secret Los Angeles. The platform produces and distributes over 2,500 pieces of content per day through a network of city-branded websites, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn, reaching 40M+ monthly pageviews, 600M+ videos watched, and an aggregated social audience of 30M+ followers. Founded by Francisco Hein in Madrid, Spain, and operating as an original license of FEVER, the company runs a multi-language editorial operation across 20+ spoken languages and operates a physical venue sticker verification program in 100+ cities.

The business generates revenue primarily through native advertising and branded content campaigns, formalized via the business.feverup.com partnership portal targeting brands and event promoters. Named partners span food & beverage (Beefeater, Hello Fresh, BOMBAY, SWR), beauty (NYX Cosmetics), and consumer goods (LELO), with 200+ brand relationships disclosed in aggregate. The core platform is complemented by Secret Club, a members-only community offering exclusive content, giveaways, and year-round discounts for restaurants, events, and city experiences.

From a technology and operational perspective, the company's stack is content-first rather than technology-first: there are no disclosed proprietary AI/ML systems, APIs, mobile applications, or patents. Distribution leverage comes from owned editorial domains, organic social media reach, and the 'Secret' brand franchise, with the company's 2024 Webby Award wins (Cultural Website category) providing industry credibility. Strategic and commercial operations are integrated with parent FEVER's experiences platform at feverup.com.

Name

Secret Media Network

Legal name

Secret Media Network

Website

https://secretmedianetwork.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Secret Media Network is a hyper-local digital media company publishing city-specific editorial guides across 120+ global cities, monetizing its 40M+ monthly pageviews and 30M+ social followers through native advertising and branded content with 200+ brand partners and event promoters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital City Guides

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

General-Purpose Social Networks (BPAMABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Regional/Sub-National Broadcast Networks (MPABAAAM)

Keywords

• Digital city guides
• Local media network
• Native advertising platform
• Branded content publishing
• City life content

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Native Advertising & Branded Content: Secret Media Network generates revenue primarily through native advertising and branded content partnerships with brands. Brands collaborate with the network to create city-specific editorial content that reaches the platform's large and engaged audiences. The company explicitly targets event promoters and brands interested in native advertising via its business.feverup.com portal.
2. Brand Partnerships & Collaborations: The network works with 200+ brand partners across its global city guide network, creating co-branded content, campaigns, and case studies. Partnerships span multiple verticals including food & beverage (Beefeater, Hello Fresh), beauty (NYX Cosmetics, LELO), and lifestyle brands (BOMBAY, SWR).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Secret Media Network publishes hyper-local, shareable city guides across 120+ cities in 20+ languages via city-specific brands (Secret NYC, Secret London, Madrid Secreto, Paris Secret, etc.), generating 40M+ monthly pageviews and 600M+ videos watched. The company monetizes primarily through native advertising and branded-content partnerships with 200+ brands, and runs Secret Club, a members-only community offering exclusive content, giveaways, and year-round discounts at partner venues.

Product overview

Secret Media Network is a unified content platform that publishes hyper-local, highly shareable city guides across a portfolio of 120+ city-specific brands (including Secret NYC, Secret London, Secret Paris, Secret LA, and Secret Madrid). The platform distributes over 2,500 pieces of content daily, reaching 40+ million monthly page views and 600+ million video views, supporting 20+ spoken languages. The core platform is complemented by Secret Club, a members-only loyalty community offering exclusive discounts and content. Brand partnership and native advertising services are offered through the platform, connecting brands with the network's passionate, outgoing audience of over 200 brand partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Secret Club: Members-only community granting access to exclusive content, giveaways, and year-round discounts for restaurants, events and activities.
• Secret NYC
• Secret Los Angeles
• Madrid Secreto
• Secret London
• Paris Secret

Products and services

• Secret Media Network City Guide Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• 40M+ monthly pageviews
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BeefeatercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBeefeater partnered with Madrid Secreto (Secret Media Network's Spanish edition) for an Instagram Reel native content collaboration, promoting the brand within the context of Madrid city life and hidden gems.
• NYX CosmeticscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNYX Cosmetics collaborated with Paris Secret on native branded content, showcasing the brand within Paris Secret's editorial coverage of the city.
• Hello FreshcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHello Fresh partnered with Secret NYC for an Instagram Reel native content collaboration, integrating the brand into NYC-focused editorial content about city life and dining.
• LELOcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLELO collaborated with Barcelona Secreta on a YouTube native content campaign, featuring the brand within Barcelona city lifestyle editorial content.
• BOMBAYcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBOMBAY partnered with Secret London for an Instagram post native content collaboration, integrating the brand into London-focused city guide content.
• SWR (South Western Railway)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSWR (South Western Railway) collaborated with Secret London on native branded content, integrating the transportation brand within London city guide editorial.
• FEVERcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSecret Media Network is an original FEVER license, indicating that FEVER (the parent/experiences platform at feverup.com) owns or licenses the Secret Media Network brand and operates the platform. The network's brand partnerships and event promotion pages redirect to business.feverup.com.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Thrillist: Thrillist is a digital media brand covering food, travel, and city life with a heavy reliance on branded content and social distribution. Comparable target audience and brand-partnership revenue model.
• Time Out Group: Time Out Group is a global media and hospitality brand publishing city guides across dozens of cities. It is the closest direct peer — both publish hyper-local city editorial content, monetize via brand partnerships and advertising, and operate multi-city editions globally.
• Eater (Vox Media): Eater operates a network of city-specific food and lifestyle sites as part of Vox Media, monetizing through native advertising and brand partnerships. Closely comparable city-network model with editorial depth.
• The Infatuation: The Infatuation is a digital city-guide and restaurant-discovery publisher with city-specific editorial brands, social distribution, and brand-partner content. Comparable on editorial-led city content and brand collaboration revenue.
• Atlas Obscura: Atlas Obscura curates city-based discovery content (food, experiences, hidden gems) with a community-driven model and city-level editorial depth. Comparable discovery-led editorial and city-content model.

Broad incumbents

• FEVER: FEVER is the parent experiences marketplace and licensor of Secret Media Network. It operates a broader live-experiences platform with ticketing, events, and city-level demand — overlapping audience and advertising partners, but a different core product.
• BuzzFeed: BuzzFeed is a large digital publisher monetizing heavily via branded content, social distribution, and native advertising. Comparable revenue mix and reliance on social platforms for reach.
• Condé Nast Traveler: Condé Nast Traveler is a city and travel editorial brand within a larger publisher, monetizing via native advertising and brand partnerships. Comparable premium city content and advertising-led revenue, but with a stronger travel/luxury skew.
• Vox Media: Vox Media is a large digital media portfolio (Eater, New York Magazine, The Verge, SB Nation). Comparable in city-vertical editorial networks and brand-partnership advertising, but at significantly greater scale and vertical breadth.
• Vice Media: Vice Media is a global digital media company targeting younger urban audiences through editorial, video, and branded content. Comparable audience demographic and brand-partnership monetization, though at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/secret.media.network
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/secret-media-network
• Instagraminstagram.com/secretmedianetwork
• TikToktiktok.com/@secretmedianetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Secret Media Network