SKI Magazine

What SKI Magazine does

SKI Magazine is a Boulder, Colorado-based ski-focused digital media publication operating under Outside Inc., one of multiple outdoor-lifestyle titles within the Outside media portfolio (which also includes Outside TV, Gaia GPS, Trailforks, and the Outside+ subscription platform). The publication serves ski enthusiasts with editorial content spanning resort rankings, gear reviews and testing, travel guides, instructional material, news, and ski culture, distributed primarily through skimag.com, the Outside mobile app (which bundles 15+ outdoor publications), and Outside TV (600+ hours of ad-free ski video including Warren Miller films). Its core assets are a 1948-vintage brand, an annual reader-ranked Resort Survey, and a multi-region gear testing program (e.g., the 2026 Winter Gear Guide covering 6 U.S. states plus Scandinavia and the Alps).

Revenue is generated through three streams: (1) Outside+ subscription membership, which gates premium content and is currently promoted at a 30% discount; (2) display and sponsored advertising from ski resorts and gear brands; and (3) affiliate commerce commissions via retail partner links (Backcountry, REI, and brand-direct stores) embedded in gear reviews and deal content. The go-to-market motion is content-led/SEO-driven, converting engaged readers into Outside+ subscribers, and the publication targets both consumer readers (active skiers, family skiers, backcountry skiers) and advertising-segment ski resorts and gear brands across North America and Europe, with additional coverage in Chile and New Zealand.

Operating headcount is reported at 51-100 employees. The company has no funding rounds, no M&A activity, no disclosed patents or AI/ML capabilities, and operates without independent ownership signaling — it is fully embedded in the Outside Inc. corporate structure, which delivers shared editorial, technology, and distribution infrastructure and is the principal source of both operating leverage and strategic direction.

Name

SKI Magazine

Legal name

SKI Magazine

Website

https://skimag.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SKI Magazine is a Boulder, Colorado-based ski media publication under Outside Inc. that provides resort rankings, gear reviews, travel guides, and instructional content to ski enthusiasts globally via skimag.com, the Outside+ subscription, and the Outside mobile app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ski and Outdoor Lifestyle Media Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Travel & Outdoors Magazines (MPAJAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Winter Adventure & Mountain Resorts (Ski, Snowboard, Snow Activities) (THAAAAAK), Ski & Snowboard Equipment Retail (Skis, Boards, Boots, Bindings, Poles) (CRAMAJAA), Mountain & Ski Homes (THAMAAAG)

Keywords

• Ski resort reviews
• Ski gear guides
• Outdoor media publishing
• Winter travel guides
• Ski instruction content

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription/Membership: Outside+ membership providing unlimited access to SKI Magazine content, travel guides, and benefits including access to 15+ outdoor publications. 30% discount offer available.
2. Affiliate Commerce: Earns affiliate commissions from gear recommendations and product links throughout editorial content, particularly gear reviews and buying guides.
3. Advertising: Display advertising and sponsored content within the magazine and website, including resort promotions and gear advertising.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SKI Magazine is a ski-focused digital media publication that produces editorial content covering ski resorts, gear reviews, travel guides, instruction, news, and ski culture. Its content is distributed through skimag.com, the Outside mobile app, the Outside+ subscription membership, and affiliated channels, with revenue generated from subscriptions, advertising, and affiliate commerce on gear sales.

Product overview

SKI Magazine is a media publication under the Outside network offering ski-focused editorial content. The core product is the SKI Magazine digital publication featuring resort rankings, gear reviews, travel guides, news, and instructional content. The Outside+ subscription membership provides access to this content plus 15+ outdoor publications. Related offerings include Gear Guides, Resort Rankings, and the Outside mobile app for content access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SKI Magazine digital publication Digital ski media publication providing editorial content covering ski resort reviews, gear guides, travel articles, news, and instructional material for ski enthusiasts.
• Outside+ Membership Annual subscription membership providing unlimited access to SKI Magazine editorial content, travel guides, training plans, and benefits across the Outside media ecosystem of 15+ outdoor publications.
• Outside App Mobile application that delivers SKI Magazine and 15+ other outdoor publications to subscribers, integrating content from the Outside media ecosystem.
• Gear Guides and Reviews Comprehensive ski equipment testing and review coverage including skis, ski boots, backcountry gear, helmets, goggles, and gloves, written by experienced gear testers.
• Ski Resort Rankings Annual reader-ranked ski resort rankings and travel guides covering resorts across North America, the Alps, and other international ski destinations.
• 2026 Winter Gear Guide Annual gear guide featuring expert recommendations and testing results for ski equipment for the 2026 winter season, produced through a multi-location testing methodology.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual Reader Resort Survey reaches thousands of ski enthusiasts
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Outside Inc.coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSKI Magazine is powered by Outside Inc. and operates within the Outside media ecosystem, which includes Outside TV app, Gaia GPS, Trailforks, and the Outside+ subscription platform.
• Outside TVcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSKI Magazine content and Warren Miller ski films are distributed through the Outside TV app, which offers 600+ hours of ad-free films and series.
• Backcountry (Retailer)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGear reviews include affiliate links to Backcountry.com for ski packs and equipment purchases, generating commission revenue.
• REI (Retailer)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGear review articles link to REI for product purchases, generating affiliate commission on ski equipment.
• Ski Resorts (Editorial Partners)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSKI Magazine features ski resort editorial content including La Rosière, Grindelwald, San Cassiano, Flims-Laax-Falera, and Sölden as top family destinations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Powder Magazine: Powder Magazine is a long-running U.S. ski publication covering resort skiing, gear reviews, and backcountry content with a print and digital presence, making it the closest direct competitor to SKI Magazine in the consumer ski magazine category.
• Freeskier Magazine: Freeskier is a digital-first ski publication producing editorial, gear reviews, athlete features, and video content aimed at the same enthusiast and lifestyle audience SKI serves, with overlapping resort and gear advertising inventory.
• Backcountry Magazine: Backcountry Magazine focuses on human-powered skiing, ski touring, and avalanche safety, directly overlapping SKI's backcountry and instruction content verticals with a similar subscription-supported publishing model.
• Snowboarder Magazine: Snowboarder Magazine covers the closely adjacent snow-sports category with resort rankings, gear reviews, and athlete features, sharing the same resort and brand advertisers as SKI Magazine.

Broad incumbents

• Outside Magazine: Outside Magazine is SKI's sister publication under parent Outside Inc., covering the broader outdoor lifestyle with cross-vertical readers; it competes for the same advertising and subscription dollars from outdoor brands, while also providing the bundle SKI rides on.
• Climbing Magazine: Climbing Magazine is a longstanding outdoor sports publication within the Outside Inc. portfolio, sharing the Outside+ subscription and ad platform with SKI while serving mountain-sport audiences with overlapping gear advertisers.
• Men's Journal: Men's Journal is a mainstream outdoor and adventure lifestyle publication that runs ski and winter gear coverage as part of a wider editorial mix, competing for the same resort and active-lifestyle brand advertisers.

Regional players

• Mountain Magazine: Mountain Magazine is a UK-based mountain sports publication covering climbing, mountaineering, and ski touring; comparable to SKI for mountain-lifestyle editorial and gear reviews, but serving primarily a British/European audience.

Others

• Backcountry.com: Backcountry.com is a major outdoor and ski gear retailer and SKI Magazine's affiliate partner; comparable as an ecosystem participant that monetizes the same ski enthusiast audience through commerce rather than editorial.

Emerging players

• OnTheSnow: OnTheSnow is a ski resort reviews and snow-report platform that competes with SKI for resort-ranking mindshare and ski trip planning intent, with a more data-driven and less editorial approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/skimag
• Instagraminstagram.com/skimagazine
• Xx.com/skimagonline

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 SKI Magazine