What Boating Magazine does

Boating Magazine is a privately held recreational boating publication owned by Firecrown Media, a marine and watersports media conglomerate that also operates Cruising World, Sailing World, Salt Water Sportsman, Sport Fishing, Wakeboarding, and Yachting. The publication serves recreational boaters, prospective boat buyers, and gear enthusiasts with editorial boat reviews and tests, how-to maintenance and safety content, gear guides, and an annual Boat of the Year award program. Its content portfolio includes a core magazine product plus dedicated annual Buyers Guides for the general boat, pontoon, watersports, and freshwater categories, with active coverage of manufacturers such as MasterCraft, ATX, Supra, Centurion, Viaggio, Mag Bay, Regal, Forest River Marine, and Navan. Headquartered in Winter Park, United States, the brand markets itself as the "World's Largest Powerboat Magazine."

The business operates on a multi-stream revenue model combining print and digital subscriptions (digital at $27/year, print-and-digital bundle at $35/year), display and sponsored advertising from marine industry advertisers, and a growing layer of branded sponsored content partnerships with brands including Mustang Survival, Roswell Marine, Sunstream Boat Lifts, Siren Marine, and KICKER Marine Audio. Distribution spans direct subscriptions via the Flying Media / DragonForms platform, digital newsstand availability through Emagazines.com, US retail newsstand sales, and e-commerce via the Firecrown Marine Shop. The editorial team, led by Editor-in-Chief Kevin Falvey, produces approximately 150 videos per year, and the publication maintains an active presence across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

The technology foundation is a conventional digital publishing platform with editorial content management, email newsletter delivery, and e-commerce integration — there are no proprietary technical features or AI/ML capabilities disclosed. Boating Magazine relies on the Firecrown Media parent for shared brand infrastructure, cross-publication promotion, and distribution scale, while its competitive position rests on editorial credibility, an established brand within the powerboat community, and a multi-decade content archive spanning all major boat categories.

Name

Boating Magazine

Legal name

Firecrown

Website

https://boatingmag.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Boating Magazine is a privately held recreational boating publication owned by Firecrown Media, serving recreational boaters and prospective boat buyers with editorial boat reviews, tests, how-to guides, gear coverage, and annual buyers guides across print and digital subscription channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Winter Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: Recurring subscription revenue from print and digital magazine subscriptions, including digital-only access to content library.
2. Advertising Revenue: Display advertising and sponsored content from marine industry advertisers including boat manufacturers, gear companies, and marine electronics brands.
3. Sponsored Content: Paid sponsor posts and branded content partnerships with marine industry companies featuring their products in editorial-style reviews and articles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Boating Magazine is a recreational boating publication that delivers independent editorial content including boat reviews, boat tests, how-to articles, gear guides, and safety information for recreational boaters. The publication offers both print and digital subscriptions and produces annual buyers guides covering multiple boat categories including pontoon boats, watersports boats, fishing boats, and cruising boats.

Product overview

Boating Magazine is a recreational boating publication that operates as a single unified product with several supplementary buyers guide modules and subscription tiers. The core offering consists of boat reviews, boat tests, how-to articles, and gear coverage. The product portfolio includes annual buyers guides (2026 Boat Buyers Guide, 2026 Watersports Boat Buyers Guide, 2026 Pontoon Boat Buyers Guide, Freshwater Boat and Gear Buyers Guide), the Boat of the Year award program, and subscription services in both digital-only and print-and-digital formats. The magazine covers multiple boat categories including cruising boats, pontoon boats, fishing boats, runabouts, personal watercraft, and water sports boats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Boating Magazine A recreational boating publication providing boat reviews, boat tests, boating tips, how-to articles, and gear coverage for recreational boaters.
• 2026 Boat Buyers Guide Annual comprehensive guide featuring the top new boats on the market with new boat reviews, boat pictures and videos.
• 2026 Water Sports Boat Buyers Guide Buyers guide providing the widest variety of reviews and videos of watersports boats.
• 2026 Pontoon Boat Buyers Guide Dedicated buyers guide for pontoon boats with reviews and specifications.
• Freshwater Boat and Gear Buyers Guide Buyers guide covering freshwater boats and gear for anglers and recreational boaters.
• Boat of the Year Annual award program recognizing the best boats tested by Boating Magazine editors.
• Digital Edition Subscription Digital subscription providing access to the magazine's online and digital content including digital edition issues, priced at $27 annually.
• Print and Digital Subscription Combined print and digital subscription offering both physical magazine delivery and full digital access, priced at $35 annually.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mustang Survival partnership established for life jacket editorial content and boat tests
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered sponsored_content, parent and content.

• Roswell Marinesponsored_contentGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2026Sponsored post partnership for Boating Lab content featuring Roswell Marine's R1 Pro marine audio system. Roswell Marine hosted blind audio test at Rockledge, FL headquarters for editorial coverage.
• Firecrown MediaparentOthersParent company and publisher of Boating Magazine. Firecrown Media operates a portfolio of marine and watersports publications including Cruising World, Sailing World, Salt Water Sportsman, Sport Fishing, Wakeboarding, and Yachting magazines.
• Mustang SurvivalcontentGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for life jacket editorial content and product loans for boat tests and photo shoots. Mustang Survival provides life jackets for editorial reviews and testing, with Boating Magazine featuring Mustang products in safety gear content.
• Sunstream Boat Liftssponsored_contentGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored content partnership featuring Sunstream Boat Lifts products including Not Your Grandfather's Boat Lift and SunLift X product articles.
• Siren Marinesponsored_contentGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored post partnership for Stay Connected, Stay Protected article covering Siren 3 remote boat monitoring system.
• KICKER Marine Audiosponsored_contentGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored content partnership featuring KICKER Marine audio and lighting products, including Elevate Your On-Water Experience article.
• Sea Tow FoundationcontentGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership supporting life jacket loaner programs. Sea Tow Foundation awards PFDs to loaner stations nationwide, with Boating Magazine covering the initiative.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• MarineMax: Largest US recreational boat dealer with significant content marketing, events, and OEM partnerships. Competes for marine advertiser attention and serves as a channel for many of Boating's readers.

Direct peers

• BoatTEST.com: Digital-first boat review platform producing video boat tests and reviews. Directly competes with Boating's boat test content for the same high-intent buyers.
• Sport Fishing Magazine: Sister publication under Firecrown Media covering saltwater fishing boats and tackle. Shared advertising pool and reader overlap with Boating's fishing content.
• Wakeboarding Magazine: Sister publication under Firecrown Media covering towboat and wake sports content. Overlapping OEM advertiser relationships in towboats, audio, and marine accessories.
• Cruising World: Sister publication under Firecrown Media focused on cruising sailboats and power cruising. Overlapping audience and advertising base with Boating Magazine.
• Power & Motoryacht: Independent enthusiast magazine focused on powerboat and motor yacht reviews, similar in editorial format and audience to Boating Magazine.
• Yachting Magazine: Sister publication under Firecrown Media covering yachting and motor yacht content. Directly comparable product offering and target audience, though commonly owned.
• Salt Water Sportsman: Sister publication under Firecrown Media targeting saltwater anglers. Comparable subscription/advertising model and overlapping endemic advertiser base.

Broad incumbents

• boats.com: Major online boat marketplace with editorial content for boat shoppers. Larger scale and broader scope than Boating, but overlapping purchase-intent audience and marine advertiser relationships.

Emerging players

• Bassmaster Magazine: Leading bass fishing enthusiast media brand with editorial, video, and tournament properties. Adjacent audience in freshwater boating with comparable subscription and event monetization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/boatingmagazine
• YouTubeyoutube.com/BoatingMagazine
• Facebookfacebook.com/boatingmag
• Instagraminstagram.com/boatingmagazine

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 Boating Magazine