Malibu Times

What Malibu Times does

The Malibu Times is a privately held local news publication serving Malibu, California, founded in 1946 and operating as part of the 13 Stars Media Group regional news network. It publishes a weekly print edition alongside a comprehensive digital news platform covering local news, breaking news, sports (Malibu High School Sharks, Pepperdine Waves), opinion, obituaries, real estate, business, and Malibu Fires recovery. The underlying technology consists of a website-based content management system with RSS feed syndication, weather integration, and a digital archive of 18,830+ articles.

The business model combines recurring subscriptions with advertising and ancillary services. Consumers can subscribe to the print edition at $99/year (weekly delivery) or the digital edition at $9.99/month for full access. Advertising is sold both through a self-serve booking portal (portal.mydash.media) and direct sales contact, targeting local Malibu businesses and institutional customers. Additional revenue streams include obituary submission services and California-mandated Fictitious Business Name legal notice publication at $85 per filing, covering four consecutive weekly publications and Proof of Publication filing with the County Clerk. The company also publishes Malibu Magazine as a lifestyle sub-brand.

Distribution channels span print mail delivery, global digital access, and a self-serve e-commerce advertising storefront. Marketing channels include the primary website, Facebook, X, Instagram, RSS feeds, and email newsletters. The customer base is fragmented across individual Malibu residents, local SMB advertisers, and institutional clients such as Pepperdine University, the City of Malibu, and the Malibu Township Council. The publication maintains no public API, no mobile application, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, operating as a traditional content publisher rather than a technology company.

Name

Malibu Times

Legal name

The Malibu Times

Website

https://malibutimes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Malibu Times is a privately held, 1946-founded local newspaper serving Malibu, California, offering weekly print ($99/year) and digital ($9.99/month) subscriptions, local advertising, obituary services, and legal notice publication, operating as part of the 13 Stars Media Group regional network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local News Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Newspaper Publishers (51311), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

National & General-Interest Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAA), News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)

Keywords

• Local news publishing
• Community journalism
• Newspaper subscriptions
• Local advertising
• Regional media

Headquarters

HQ city

Malibu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Print Subscription: Annual print subscription at $99/year delivering weekly print edition to subscriber's door
2. Digital Subscription: Monthly digital subscription at $9.99/month providing full digital access to all content
3. Advertising: Print and digital advertising options for local businesses and organizations to reach Malibu community
4. Fictitious Business Name Publication: California legally required publication service for fictitious business name statements at $85 per filing covering four consecutive weekly publications
5. Obituary Services: Obituary publication services for deceased community members with formatting, publication, and pricing handled by editorial team

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Malibu Times is a hyper-local news publication serving Malibu, California, offering weekly print newspaper delivery and full digital access through subscriptions. It produces original journalism covering local news, sports, opinion, obituaries, business, real estate, and community events, complemented by print and digital advertising services for local businesses and legal notice publication services.

Product overview

The Malibu Times is a local news organization operated by 13 Stars Media Group, offering a dual-format publication model consisting of both a weekly print newspaper and a comprehensive digital news platform. The core offerings include digital subscriptions providing full website access, print subscriptions delivering weekly editions, breaking news email alerts, and advertising services for local businesses. Additional offerings include obituary submissions, legal notice publications (fictitious business name statements), and RSS syndication. The company also publishes Malibu Magazine as a lifestyle companion to the news operation. The portfolio is unified under the Malibu Times brand, with digital and print products serving distinct but complementary audience needs for community news, sports coverage, opinion, and local events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Malibu Magazine: A separate magazine publication under the Malibu Times umbrella, described as 'The Definitive Guide to Malibu Living' and available at malibumag.com

Products and services

• Digital News Subscription

Named customers3 records

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

One partnership is on record.

• 13 Stars Media GroupcoreOthersThe Malibu Times is part of 13 Stars Media Group, a network of trusted regional newsrooms covering communities across California. The parent company operates multiple regional publications including Atascadero News, Calabasas Style Magazine, Central Coast Living, Hidden Hills Community Register, Malibu Magazine, Morro Bay Life, Paso Robles Magazine, Paso Robles Press, and Santa Ynez Valley Star. This partnership provides shared resources, technology platform, and cross-promotion across California regional news network.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Palisadian-Post: Long-established weekly community newspaper serving Pacific Palisades, an adjacent affluent Los Angeles coastal community. Directly comparable as a hyper-local weekly print+digital newspaper serving a similarly affluent coastal LA community.
• Atascadero News: A sister 13 Stars Media Group publication serving Atascadero on California's Central Coast. Directly comparable as a hyper-local community news outlet with similar print+digital+advertising model under shared parent infrastructure.
• The Argonaut: Community newspaper covering Venice, Marina del Rey, and Playa del Rey along Los Angeles's westside coastline. Directly comparable as a weekly community newspaper with print+digital distribution and local advertising focus.
• Easy Reader / South Bay Weekly: Long-running weekly community newspaper serving Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo Beach in LA's South Bay. Directly comparable as a hyper-local coastal community weekly with print+digital subscriptions and local business advertising.
• Hidden Hills Community Register: A sister 13 Stars Media Group publication serving the affluent enclave of Hidden Hills. Directly comparable as a small-scale hyper-local community publication under shared parent infrastructure serving a similarly affluent Southern California community.
• Malibu Magazine: A sub-brand of The Malibu Times positioned as 'The Definitive Guide to Malibu Living.' Direct comparable operating in the same Malibu geography with a lifestyle-magazine format, monetized through premium local advertising.
• Calabasas Style Magazine: A sister publication within the 13 Stars Media Group network covering Calabasas, an affluent Southern California community. Directly comparable as a regional lifestyle/community publication operating under the same parent infrastructure with overlapping editorial and advertising models.

Regional players

• The Santa Monica Daily Press: Daily community newspaper serving Santa Monica, an adjacent affluent LA coastal community. Comparable as a print+digital community newspaper operating in a neighboring market with similar advertiser and subscriber profiles.

Broad incumbents

• Los Angeles Times: The flagship regional newspaper of Southern California, providing extensive Malibu and LA-coast coverage. Comparable as a regional newspaper operating in overlapping territory, though at much larger scale and broader geographic remit.
• Patch.com (Malibu): National hyper-local digital news network covering Malibu as one of thousands of communities. Comparable as a direct substitute for Malibu Times' digital coverage, monetized through advertising rather than subscriptions, with much larger scale but less editorial depth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/themalibutimes
• Facebookfacebook.com/MalibuTimes
• Instagraminstagram.com/malibutimes

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 Malibu Times