What AQUA Magazine does

AQUA Magazine is a B2B trade publication serving the U.S. pool and spa industry, founded in 1976 and operated as a portfolio brand of AB Media Inc. Its editorial scope covers five main categories — Retail, Service, Builder, Products, and News — targeted at industry professionals including retailers, builders, service companies, and manufacturers, with a secondary Homeowners/DIY track that broadens the audience to consumers seeking pool and outdoor living content. The publication maintains an active monthly print and digital magazine, a twice-weekly email newsletter (AQUA Today), a digital Content Library of archived stories, recurring webinars, industry event coverage, and a searchable online Buyer's Guide directory containing over 1,700 manufacturer and supplier listings across 12 product categories.

The product surface is delivered through a standard web publishing platform with Google Analytics for traffic and cookie-based user tracking; there is no proprietary technology, no AI/ML capability, no mobile application, and no public API. Distribution is multi-channel: a website (aquamagazine.com), the newsletter, six social media profiles (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter/X, LinkedIn), and a printed magazine with editions dated through July 2026. The corporate infrastructure is lean — 1-10 employees based at a single Madison, Wisconsin office (22 E. Mifflin St., Suite 910) — and there are no disclosed funding rounds, M&A activity, or leadership changes in the source data.

The business model is advertising-led. Revenue is generated primarily through Premium Partnerships with approximately 20 industry manufacturers and distributors — including Fluidra, POOLCORP, Pentair Pool, Hayward, Solenis, LANXESS, Latham, Heritage Pool Supply Group, BioLab, FROG, and Intermatic — supplemented by broader display advertising and sponsored content. The Premium Partner tier structure (Major, Core, Minor) signals formal commercial packaging. Secondary revenue mechanics, if any, derive from the Buyer's Guide directory and event/webinar sponsorships. No subscription pricing, paid listing fees, or paid content tiers are publicly disclosed, and the company provides no revenue or circulation figures.

Name

AQUA Magazine

Legal name

AB Media Inc.

Website

https://aquamagazine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AQUA Magazine is a B2B trade publication serving U.S. pool and spa professionals since 1976, operated by AB Media Inc. It delivers a monthly print/digital magazine, twice-weekly newsletter, 1,700+ listing Buyer's Guide, webinars, and event coverage, monetized primarily through advertising from industry manufacturers and distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Publication (Pool and Spa Industry Media)

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sports & Recreation Magazines (MPAJAEAJ)

Keywords

• Trade publication media
• Pool spa industry
• B2B content publishing
• Industry newsletter advertising
• Buyer guide directory

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising: AQUA Magazine derives its revenue mainly from advertising. The website features Premium Partners including major pool and spa industry manufacturers and suppliers who advertise on the platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

AQUA Magazine is a B2B trade publication and digital media platform serving pool and spa industry professionals. Its core offering is original editorial content — a monthly print and digital magazine plus the twice-weekly AQUA Today newsletter — covering retail, service, builder, product, and news segments. Revenue is generated primarily by selling advertising placements and Premium Partnerships to pool and spa manufacturers, distributors, and service providers such as Fluidra, POOLCORP, Pentair, Hayward, and Latham.

Product overview

AQUA Magazine is a B2B trade publication and digital platform for pool and spa professionals, offering a unified content ecosystem. The core offering consists of a monthly print and digital magazine (featuring editions such as July 2026, June 2026, May 2026, April 2026), a daily newsletter called AQUA Today delivered twice weekly, a searchable Buyer's Guide directory with over 1,700 industry supplier listings, a Content Library of archived stories, webinars, and industry news coverage. The publication covers five main editorial categories: Retail, Service, Builder, Products, and News, serving industry professionals with product showcases, business operations content, and market intelligence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AQUA Magazine (Print and Digital) Monthly trade magazine covering pool and spa industry news, trends, product launches, and business operations content for retail, service, and builder professionals across five editorial categories (Retail, Service, Builder, Products, News).
• AQUA Today Newsletter Twice-weekly email newsletter providing pertinent, fast-reading nationwide pool and spa industry news and stories to professional subscribers.
• Buyer's Guide Directory Searchable online directory containing over 1,700 manufacturer and supplier listings across 12 industry categories including equipment, chemicals, pools, hot tubs, safety, and business services.
• AQUA Content Library Digital archive of magazine stories sorted by category, enabling users to access and browse historical industry coverage from AQUA Magazine.
• AQUA Webinars Online educational webinars delivering industry-specific training, product education, and professional development content to pool and spa industry professionals.
• AQUA Industry Events Coverage

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• FluidramajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFluidra is a Premium Partner of AQUA Magazine, advertising on the platform as a major manufacturer of pool and spa equipment.
• POOLCORPmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPOOLCORP is a Premium Partner advertising on AQUA Magazine as a leading wholesale distributor of pool and outdoor living products.
• Pentair PoolmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPentair Pool is a Premium Partner and featured in editorial content, advertising pool equipment and sustainability solutions.
• HaywardmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerHayward is a Premium Partner advertising as a leading manufacturer of pool and spa equipment.
• SolenismajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSolenis is a Premium Partner advertising water treatment and sanitization solutions for pools and spas.
• LANXESSmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLANXESS is a Premium Partner advertising pool and spa products including Oxone, their brand for water treatment.
• LathammajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLatham is a Premium Partner advertising as a major manufacturer of pools and pool products.
• Heritage Pool Supply GroupcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHeritage Pool Supply Group is a Premium Partner and directory listing in the Buyer's Guide.
• RB Retail & Service SolutionscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRB Retail & Service Solutions is a Premium Partner and featured industry spotlight covering business software solutions for pool and spa retailers.
• Haviland Pool & Spa ProductscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHaviland Pool & Spa Products is a Premium Partner advertising pool and spa chemical products.
• BioLabcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBioLab is a Premium Partner advertising pool water treatment products.
• FROGcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFROG is a Premium Partner advertising pool and spa sanitization products.
• OnCore FiltrationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOnCore Filtration is a Premium Partner and contest sponsor of the Dirty Filter Face-Off Contest.
• HurricanecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHurricane is a Premium Partner and featured directory listing for pool filters, located in Greenville, Pennsylvania.
• Lyon FinancialcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLyon Financial is a Premium Partner and featured industry spotlight covering financing solutions for pool projects.
• TARAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTARA Pool & Outdoor Products is a Premium Partner advertising cleaning and service equipment products.
• iGardenminorGTM or Marketing PartneriGarden is a Premium Partner advertising smart garden and outdoor living products.
• IntermaticcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIntermatic is a Premium Partner advertising pool and spa automation and control products.
• CoverlonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoverlon is a Premium Partner advertising pool and spa covers.
• Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPool & Hot Tub Alliance news section featured on AQUA Magazine covering PHTA announcements, standards, and industry initiatives including water conservation efficiency standards.
• AB Media Inc.majorOthersAB Media Inc. is the parent company of AQUA Magazine, operating multiple industry publications including Athletic Business.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Builder Magazine: Leading B2B trade publication for the U.S. home building industry. Operates a much broader scope than AQUA, but overlaps on the builder/contractor audience and competes for construction-adjacent advertising dollars.
• Replacement Contractor: Trade publication serving the home remodeling and replacement contractor market, overlapping with AQUA's builder and service segments and competing for similar advertiser categories.
• Landscape Management: B2B publication serving the commercial and residential landscape industry, adjacent to AQUA's outdoor living and pool service audiences and competing for outdoor/home services advertisers.

Emerging players

• Pool & Spa Marketing: Industry publication and resource for pool and spa marketing professionals, addressing a subset of AQUA's retail/service audience with a narrower focus on marketing best practices.

Direct peers

• Athletic Business: Sister publication under AB Media Inc., serving athletic, fitness, and recreation facility professionals. Operates the same B2B trade media model — content, newsletters, events, and advertising — under shared corporate ownership.
• Pool Pro Magazine: Pool industry trade publication targeting service professionals and retailers, providing product news and business content in the same niche that AQUA serves.
• Aquatics International: Trade publication covering the commercial and public pool/aquatics industry, overlapping with AQUA's coverage of pool service professionals and industry suppliers across a closely adjacent segment.
• Pool & Spa News: Direct competitor in the U.S. pool and spa trade publishing space, serving retailers, builders, and service professionals with news, product information, and industry analysis — the closest substitute to AQUA's audience and advertiser base.

Others

• PHTA (Pool & Hot Tub Alliance): Industry association for the U.S. pool and hot tub industry. Not a peer in publishing, but a key content partner and authoritative source for standards, certification, and industry data that AQUA covers.

Regional players

• Spa & Pool Business (UK): Trade publication covering the U.K. pool and spa industry with similar B2B editorial and advertising model to AQUA, but serving a different geographic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aquamagazine
• Facebookfacebook.com/AQUAMagazine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aqua-magazine
• Instagraminstagram.com/aqua_magazine
• Pinterestpinterest.com/aquamagazine/_created

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 AQUA Magazine