BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Pocket Outdoor Media, which owns media titles including VeloNews, Triathlete and Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, has acquired three divisions of Active Interest Media. The acquisition adds more than 20 active lifestyle titles, including Yoga Journal, SKI, Climbing, Backpacker and Warren Miller Entertainment. The purchase also includes SNEWS, the outdoor industry's trade title.
POM acquired BRAIN in February 2019; the title was previously owned by Emerald Expositions and operated by the National Bicycle Dealers Association.
The full press release from POM and AIM announcing the purchase is below:
Pocket Outdoor Media Acquires Three Divisions from Active Interest Media and Completes Its Series A Financing
Series A funding allows Pocket Outdoor Media to expand its active lifestyle business to over 20 new media businesses including Yoga Journal, SKI, Climbing, BACKPACKER and Warren Miller Entertainment.
Boulder, Colorado, USA — June 30, 2020 — Pocket Outdoor Media (POM), the leading endurance sports media platform, today announced the acquisition of the Healthy Living, Fitness, and Outdoor divisions of Active Interest Media (AIM), one of the world’s largest enthusiast media companies. The acquisition by POM coincides with the closing of their Series A investment from JAZZ Venture Partners, a global investment firm based in San Francisco, with participation from NEXT VENTŪRES, and Zone 5 Ventures.
Included in the AIM acquisition are: Yoga Journal, SKI, Climbing, BACKPACKER, Warren Miller Entertainment, Oxygen, IDEA Health and Fitness Association, Clean Eating, Vegetarian Times, Better Nutrition, NatuRx, Muscle & Performance, Nastar, Fly Fishing Film Tour, National Park Trips, and SNEWS.
The AIM brands will join POM’s existing stable of endurance sports brands: VeloNews, Women’s Running, Triathlete, PodiumRunner, Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, VeloPress, VeloSwap, and Roll Massif, a recently acquired event production company that produces a series of eight iconic Colorado cycling events.
The acquisition brings together best-in-class brands, diversifying POM’s media platform and allowing them to better serve active lifestyle enthusiasts and their media partners. The expanded business will continue to focus on putting the needs of its readers first, delivering content and experiences across the wide range of activities they are passionate about.
“The strength of these collective brands positions us to build the premier active lifestyle media destination to meet the needs and interest of our readers on a daily basis, whether they’re beginners or experts—looking for a training plan, healthy recipe, event coverage, nutrition advice, injury prevention and more,” said Robin Thurston, CEO of Pocket Outdoor Media. “Our mission is to inspire people to do the activities they love—yoga, ride, cook, ski, run, swim, hike, climb—with greater enjoyment and knowledge.”
In an evolving media landscape, POM will become the hub for active lifestyle enthusiasts looking to live a balanced and healthy lifestyle. The first phase of their Active Pass membership program was recently launched with perks that include a wide range of premium content, VeloPress books, magazine subscriptions, Roll Massif event access, and training plans through a strategic partnership with Today’s Plan.
“The synergies of these iconic brands, some of which have been around for over 50 years, uniquely enables Pocket Outdoor Media to deliver an integrated experience never seen before,” said John Spinale, managing partner at JAZZ Venture Partners. “They have already developed a personalized newsfeed and membership experience that allows readers to access content across the POM brands, and it will only be bolstered as they add the AIM businesses to the experience.”
“After getting to know Robin and the Pocket Outdoor Media team, it was clear that we share a great commitment to the communities we serve in Outdoor, Fitness, and Wellness. Our alignment around our shared values, strategy, and Boulder location made this a natural fit for our people and brands. Pocket’s new technology platform unifies, personalizes, and syndicates the best content around the customer journey. Combining their personalization platform with their membership strategy felt like a home run for the brands and team members of AIM’s Outdoor, Fitness, and Active Lifestyle divisions,” said Andy Clurman, CEO of Active Interest Media.
Press inquiries please contact:
- Robin Thurston - CEO of Pocket Outdoor Media, at ceo@pocketoutdoormedia.com
- Andy Clurman - CEO of Active Interest Media, at AClurman@aimmedia.com
- PJ Rabice - VP, Marketing of Pocket Outdoor Media, at press@pocketoutdoormedia.com
