PressBox
PressBox is a privately held Baltimore/Maryland regional sports media company founded in 2006, covering the Orioles, Ravens, college, and high school sports across a WordPress website, free print magazine, radio shows, and social channels, monetized primarily through regional advertising and B2B custom publishing via its MJM Custom Media subsidiary.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersTowson, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What PressBox does
PressBox is a privately held regional sports media company founded in 2006 by publisher Stan "The Fan" Charles and operating under the legal entity WordSmith Media Ventures, LLC, headquartered in Towson, Maryland. The company covers Baltimore/Maryland sports from the high school through professional level, with dedicated coverage of the Baltimore Orioles (MLB), Baltimore Ravens (NFL), college athletics, high school sports, and adjacent regional sports including lacrosse and soccer. Content is produced across multiple formats: a website (PressBoxOnline.com) built on WordPress CMS, a free tabloid-style print publication distributed at more than 350 regional locations six times per year, social media channels on Facebook/Twitter/YouTube, daily Facebook Live and streaming radio shows including Glenn Clark Radio and The Bat Around, and a weekly email newsletter distributed via Constant Contact.
Revenue is generated through three streams: advertising sold across print, internet, video, podcasting, and on-site event channels (the primary stream); a $19.95/year consumer fee that covers only postage and handling for the free print magazine and is not a meaningful recurring revenue line; and B2B custom publishing services delivered through the wholly-owned subsidiary MJM Custom Media, which produces newsletters, magazines, directories, and commemorative books for businesses, non-profits, and government agencies. Payments are processed through Stripe. The company has no disclosed institutional funding, no parent company, and operates with 11–50 employees under independent founder-led control. Geographic scope is explicitly regional (Baltimore/Maryland), and no expansion beyond this market is indicated in the available data.
PressBox firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PressBox
- Legal name
- WordSmith Media Ventures, LLC
- Website
- https://pressboxonline.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- PressBox is a privately held Baltimore/Maryland regional sports media company founded in 2006, covering the Orioles, Ravens, college, and high school sports across a WordPress website, free print magazine, radio shows, and social channels, monetized primarily through regional advertising and B2B custom publishing via its MJM Custom Media subsidiary.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PressBox industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Regional Sports Media
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120), Periodical Publishers (51312)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Consumer News & Digital Newsrooms (Web/App-First) (MPAJADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH)
Keywords
Where PressBox is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Towson
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
PressBox business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Subscription Revenue: PressBox magazine is distributed free but requires payment of postage and handling ($19.95 for a one-year subscription covering six double issues). This is a hybrid model where the physical product is free but delivery is paid.
- Advertising: PressBox offers advertisers flexibility to use advertising across multiple channels including print, internet, video, podcasting, and on-site events/promotions. Advertisers can choose individual assets or bundle available media for comprehensive marketing campaigns.
- Custom Publishing Services: MJM Custom Media, the custom publishing and media division of WordSmith Media Ventures, helps businesses, non-profit organizations and governmental agencies engage audiences through editorial content and design, including print and digital newsletters, full-color magazines, directories and commemorative books.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | One-year subscription (six double issues) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
PressBox product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PressBox is a Baltimore/Maryland regional sports media company that publishes a free tabloid-style print magazine six times per year distributed at more than 350 locations and operates PressBoxOnline.com, a daily-updated sports journalism website covering the Orioles, Ravens, college, and high school teams. The company produces daily Facebook Live and streaming radio shows, an email newsletter, and sells advertising across print, digital, video, podcasting, and event channels.
Product overview
PressBox is a multi-platform Baltimore sports media company offering both digital and print products. Its core offerings include PressBoxOnline.com (website with news, columns, video, and radio content), the PressBox Print Publication (free magazine distributed six times yearly), and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube). The company also operates MJM Custom Media as a custom publishing division for businesses, the PressBox Store for merchandise and subscriptions, and produces radio shows including Glenn Clark Radio and The Bat Around. Email newsletters and editorial internships round out the service portfolio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PressBoxOnline.com
Companies that use PressBox
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
PressBox technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
PressBox partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- CountySportsZoneminorPressBox maintains a cross-promotional relationship with CountySportsZone, listing them as a partner site on their website. This appears to be a mutual content sharing or referral partnership between local sports media entities.
- JmoreminorPressBox maintains a cross-promotional relationship with Jmore (Jewish Community Voice), listing them as a partner site. This represents a content sharing or referral arrangement between regional media outlets.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PressBox competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bleacher Report: Bleacher Report is a digital sports media company producing team-focused content, video, and social-first coverage. It competes with PressBox for sports fan attention in Baltimore via its team channels and broader sports coverage.
- SB Nation: SB Nation operates a network of regional and team-specific sports blogs. Its Baltimore-focused verticals and similar community-driven local sports coverage model parallel PressBox's niche team and high school beat coverage approach.
- The Athletic: The Athletic is a subscription-based digital sports media company that covers professional and college teams across local markets, including dedicated Baltimore Ravens and Orioles beat reporters. It is the closest direct competitor to PressBoxOnline.com in providing in-depth local team coverage.
- Baltimore Banner: The Baltimore Banner is a digital-first local news outlet covering Baltimore and Maryland. While not sports-only, it competes for Baltimore/Maryland advertising dollars and local readership attention against PressBox.
Emerging players
- Athlon Sports: Athlon Sports produces college football, college basketball, and pro sports editorial content and preview magazines. Its magazine-style sports publishing and team previews are a parallel business model to PressBox's print publication.
- 247Sports: 247Sports operates a network of local and team-specific college and high school sports coverage sites, directly comparable to PressBox's high school and college sports beat. It is a partial-overlap competitor for local recruiting and prep sports coverage.
- Varsity Sports Network: Varsity Sports Network covers high school and college sports at the regional and state level. Its hyperlocal coverage model is highly comparable to PressBox's high school and college sports beat.
Broad incumbents
- Sports Illustrated: Sports Illustrated is a national sports media brand covering major professional and college sports. Its Baltimore Ravens and Orioles coverage and national sports betting content overlap with PressBox's editorial focus.
- Baltimore Sun: The Baltimore Sun is the established regional daily newspaper serving the Baltimore metropolitan area. It covers Baltimore sports alongside broader news and competes with PressBox for both local sports readership and regional advertising budgets.
Regional players
- MASN (Mid-Atlantic Sports Network): MASN is the regional sports TV network carrying Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals games. While its model is broadcast rights rather than editorial, it competes for the same Baltimore sports audience and for sports advertising dollars.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PressBox social profiles
Digital presencePressBox financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PressBox leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
PressBox subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
PressBox funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PressBox M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PressBox
What does PressBox do?
PressBox is a Baltimore/Maryland regional sports media company that publishes a free tabloid-style print magazine six times per year distributed at more than 350 locations and operates PressBoxOnline.com, a daily-updated sports journalism website covering the Orioles, Ravens, college, and high school teams. The company produces daily Facebook Live and streaming radio shows, an email newsletter, and sells advertising across print, digital, video, podcasting, and event channels.
Is PressBox a public or private company?
PressBox is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was PressBox founded?
PressBox was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is PressBox based?
PressBox is headquartered in Towson, United States, in the North America region.
How does PressBox make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Revenue is the primary driver. The others are advertising and custom Publishing Services.
Who are PressBox's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bleacher Report, SB Nation, The Athletic and Baltimore Banner. Emerging players are Athlon Sports, 247Sports and Varsity Sports Network. Broad incumbents are Sports Illustrated and Baltimore Sun. MASN (Mid-Atlantic Sports Network) is listed as a regional player.
Does PressBox have an API?
No public API is recorded for PressBox.
What industry is PressBox in?
PressBox's product category is Regional Sports Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAD, Consumer News & Digital Newsrooms (Web/App-First), with a secondary code of MPAJADAH, Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press. Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2721.