VB Media

What VB Media does

VB Media AS is a privately held Norwegian media company that publishes print magazines and operates digital platforms serving the Norwegian boating industry and enthusiast community. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Kråkerøy, Norway, the company publishes Båtens Verden, Norway's national boating magazine (currently in its 21st volume, six issues annually), and SEILAS, one of the world's oldest sailing magazines (established 1906 and owned by the Royal Norwegian Sailing Association). The company also operates digital properties including Båtens Verden.no (online magazine with harbor guide and event calendar), Båtsøk.no (digital boat search/exhibition listing 600+ new boat models with 1,500 daily views), SEILAS.no (digital sailing platform), Opplev Båtlivet (lifestyle initiative), and Søk Båtverksted (service directory), supported by an in-house web development and design team.

The company's revenue model is anchored in advertising sales across print and digital channels, supplemented by listing fees and marketing agency services. Print advertising is sold in Båtens Verden (circulation of 37,500 copies for KNBF member issues and 7,000 for regular issues) and SEILAS (4,600 copies to KNS members) at rate-card prices ranging from NOK 6,400 for quarter-page placements to NOK 48,000 for double-page premium placements. Digital advertising is sold on owned platforms and through a 2025 joint advertising network with Baatplassen.no, Norway's largest boat forum, reaching over 200,000 unique users and 840,000 monthly page views. Boat importers and manufacturers pay NOK 1,000 per model per year to list on Båtsøk.no, and the company offers full-service marketing agency capabilities including media buying, content production, web design, and campaign management for boating industry clients.

VB Media combines direct B2B sales through its media consultants with self-serve e-commerce purchasing through annonse.vbmedia.no. Strategic partnerships anchor distribution and audience access: media partnerships with KNBF (33,000 boat-owning members) and KNS (4,600+ members) provide unmatched print reach in the Norwegian boating market, while the Baatplassen.no joint network significantly expands digital reach. The company employs seven named staff, is not venture-backed, and operates exclusively in the Norwegian domestic market with editorial event presence at boot Düsseldorf and the Cannes Yachting Festival.

Name

VB Media

Legal name

VB Media AS

Website

https://vbmedia.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VB Media AS is a Norwegian media company that publishes boating magazines (Båtens Verden and SEILAS) and operates digital platforms (Båtsøk.no, Båtens Verden.no, SEILAS.no) for the Norwegian boating industry and enthusiast community, monetizing primarily through advertising sales and marketing agency services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boating Industry Media & Advertising

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports & Recreation Magazines (MPAJAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Boat & Personal Watercraft (PWC) Retail (CRAMAIAA)

Keywords

• Boating industry media
• Marine print publishing
• Digital advertising networks
• Boat classified listings
• Marine marketing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kråkerøy

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print Magazine Advertising: Advertising sales in Båtens Verden (Norway's boat magazine) and SEILAS (KNS sailing magazine) through various ad formats including double pages, full pages, half pages, cover pages, and inserts. Båtens Verden reaches 37,500 circulation copies (KNBF issues) and 7,000 regular copies. SEILAS reaches 4,600 circulation copies.
2. Digital Advertising: Banner advertisements, native ads, branded content, and pop-up ads on Båtens Verden.no, SEILAS.no, and the combined Baatplassen.no network. Includes targeted advertising products for specific categories.
3. Båtsøk.no Boat Listings: Revenue from boat importers/manufacturers listing boat models on Båtsøk.no - a digital boat exhibition platform. Priced per boat model per year.
4. Marketing Agency Services: Provides marketing strategy, media buying, campaign management, content production (text, photo, video), web design, landing pages, and graphic design services to boating industry clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

VB Media is a Norwegian specialty media company operating in the boating industry, publishing two print magazines (Båtens Verden and SEILAS) and three owned digital platforms (Båtens Verden.no, SEILAS.no, and Båtsøk.no). Its commercial offering revolves around selling advertising space — print, digital display, sponsored content, and dealer/boat listings — to boating-industry advertisers, complemented by a marketing agency arm that produces campaigns, video, and branded content for marine-sector clients.

Product overview

VB Media is a Norwegian media company that publishes magazines and digital services for the boating industry and boat enthusiasts. The core product portfolio includes print magazines Båtens Verden (Norway's national boating magazine) and SEILAS (Norway's oldest sailing magazine established 1906), alongside digital platforms including Båtsøk.no (digital boat search/exhibition), Båtens Verden.no (online magazine with harbor guide), and the newly launched SEILAS.no (digital platform). The company also operates a joint advertising network with Baatplassen.no and provides full-service marketing agency capabilities for the boating industry. Additionally, Opplev Båtlivet promotes boating lifestyle and Søk Båtverksted connects users with boat service providers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Båtens Verden: Norway's boat magazine, published in its 21st volume in 2026 with six issues annually
• SEILAS
• Båtsøk.no
• Opplev Båtlivet
• Søk Båtverksted
• Båtens Verden.no
• SEILAS.no

Products and services

• Båtens Verden (print magazine)
• SEILAS (print magazine)
• Båtens Verden.no (digital platform)
• SEILAS.no (digital platform)
• Båtsøk.no (boat search and listings platform)
• Båtens Verden x Baatplassen.no advertising network {'product_service_description': 'Joint digital advertising network combining Båtens Verden.no and Baatplassen.no inventories, sold to marine advertisers as a combined cross-site campaign reach.'}
• VB Media Agency Services
• Søk Båtverksted (workshop/service directory)

Quantifiable outcome

• 57.3% of Båtsøk.no users surveyed planned to buy a boat within the next year (autumn 2023 survey)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• Baatplassen.nomajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Joint advertising network launched in 2025 combining Båtens Verden.no with Norway's largest boat forum. Network reaches over 200,000 unique users and 840,000 monthly page views. Offers combined Top Banner and Brandboard placements across both platforms.
• Kongelig Norsk Seilforening (KNS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKNS owns SEILAS magazine (established 1906) and VB Media publishes it exclusively as a members' magazine. SEILAS is published 4 times yearly with 4,600 circulation copies distributed to KNS members. VB Media is developing SEILAS.no digital platform for KNS members and sailing Norway.
• Kongeriket Norske Båtforbund (KNBF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia partnership where KNBF members receive Båtens Verden magazine. 3 issues annually distributed to 33,000 KNBF members who own boats and have moorings. KNBF issue provides 37,500 total circulation copies. VB Media also distributes digital issues via text and email to members.
• NORBOATmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration partner in organized boating life. Listed as one of VB Media's important cooperation partners in the boating industry.
• BladCentralenmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorway's largest magazine distributor handles Båtens Verden subscription and single-copy sales nationwide.
• Boot DüsseldorfminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVB Media covers boot Düsseldorf trade fair and includes it in issue 6 (December) of Båtens Verden magazine.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Practical Sailor: Independent US-based sailing publication covering boat reviews, gear tests, and seamanship — analogous editorial format to SEILAS and Båtens Verden, with a similar digital subscriber and advertising model.
• Yachting World: International sailing and yachting magazine with print and digital editions, comparable to SEILAS in editorial format and to Båtens Verden in commercial reliance on marine advertising.
• Båtliv: Norwegian boating magazine and digital publication that competes directly with Båtens Verden for both readers and boating-industry advertisers in the Norwegian market.
• Boats.com: International boat-listing and brokerage marketplace, directly comparable to Båtsøk.no in business model (boat manufacturer listings, lead generation, dealer locator) but operating globally rather than Norway-only.
• BOAT International: Global luxury yachting media brand operating magazines, digital platforms, and events — a relevant analogue for VB Media's integrated magazine + digital + events model, albeit at the premium end of the market.

Broad incumbents

• Egmont: Nordic media and entertainment group with diversified publishing, e-commerce, and media-buying operations spanning Scandinavia — analogous incumbent scale to VB Media's niche operation.
• Bonnier Publications: Swedish-based media group publishing multiple consumer magazines, including marine and lifestyle titles, serving the broader Nordic advertising market with overlapping but broader reach than VB Media.
• Amedia: Large Norwegian media group operating local newspapers and digital platforms; relevant peer given similar Norwegian consumer advertising market dynamics and reliance on local content partnerships.
• Hegnar Media: Norwegian media group with branded publications and digital properties, comparable in vertical specialisation and Norwegian-market focus though broader in coverage than VB Media's boating niche.

Emerging players

• FINN.no: Norway's dominant online marketplace, used by VB Media as a media-buying channel and competing indirectly with Båtsøk.no in boat listings and lead generation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/vbmediaas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vb-media

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 records

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 VB Media