Who are the companies that oversee the creation of juicy content we consume every day? That’s what I’ll share today. These are the best digital media content publishing companies that produce written articles and long-form pieces online for a primarily American audience.
Monthly traffic estimates are noted in parentheses by the millions, as reported by SimilarWeb.
Dot Dash Meredith
In 2021, Dotdash (formerly About.com) and Meredith merged to form the largest American media conglomerate ever, Dotdash Meredith. The merger between a digital-first publisher and the parent company of legacy print brands shows the future of media. Using the brand awareness of America’s favorite magazines and the digital savvy of the next generation of editors, Dotdash Meredith is poised for success.
- Finance: Investopedia (50M), The Balance
- Food: AllRecipes (60M), Serious Eats, Simply Recipes, Eating Well, Food & Wine, Liquor.com
- Home: Better Homes & Gardens, The Spruce (30M), Real Simple, Magnolia, Midwest Living, MyDomaine (3M), Southern Living, Coastal Living, Traditional Home, Country Home
- Fashion & Beauty: InStyle (11M), Byrdie (24M), Brides, Shape
- Health: VeryWell (30M), Health.com (8M), Parents
- Travel: Travel+Leisure, TripSavvy (6M)
- Tech: Lifewire (21M)
- Entertainment: People (85M), Entertainment Weekly
Neil Vogel is the CEO of Dotdash Meredith and the company continues to acquire smaller media companies. Its parent company is IAC.
Red Ventures
Red Ventures is an American media conglomerate with hundreds, if not thousands of domain names in its arsenal. It has completed a number of high-profile online media company acquisitions over the years. Ric Elias is the co-founder and CEO.
- Health: Healthline (200M), HealthGrades, Medical News Today, PsychCentral
- Tech: CNET (36M)
- Entertainment: TVGuide (17M), Metacritic, Soda.com
- Wellbeing: Greatist (4M)
- Travel: Lonely Planet (6M), The Points Guy, Expert Flyer
- Consumer: AllConnect (1M), Best Colleges, Reviews.com (40k)
- Finance: Bankrate (14M), The Simple Dollar, CreditCards.com, Next Advisor, Money.co.uk
- Home: MyMove (3M), Slumber Yard
Hearst
Hearst is an American media conglomerate with dozens of brands in fashion, lifestyle, broadcasting, and entertainment.
- Fashion: Elle (50M), Harper’s Bazaar (23M), Cosmopolitan
- Home: Good Housekeeping (30M), House Beautiful (6M), Elle Decor (2M), Country Living, Veranda, HGTV Magazine, The Pioneer Woman
- Food: Delish (20M), Food Network Magazine
- Life/Health: Woman’s Day, Women’s Health, Prevention
- Society: Town & Country (10M)
- Shopping: BestProducts.com (3M)
- Sports: Runner’s World (6M), Bicycling (2.5M)
- Cars: Car and Driver, Popular Mechanics
- Men: Esquire, Men’s Health
Forbes Media
Forbes Media is an American business media company founded by B. C. Forbes and Walter Drey in 1917. The company was sold to Hong Kong-based Integrated Whale Media Investments in 2014.
Forbes has taken a different approach than About.com to create content in different verticals, instead choosing to publish everything under the Forbes.com domain. It receives approximately 120 million visits per month.
Forbes maintains pages dedicated to its key categories, but all content is published under the Forbes.com umbrella. The main categories under which Forbes publishes online content include:
- Forbes.com/money/
- Forbes.com/video/
- Forbes.com/lifestyle/
- Forbes.com/leadership/
- Forbes.com/innovation/
- Forbes.com/business/
- Forbes.com/small-business/
- Forbes.com/worlds-billionaires/
- Forbes.com/advisor/
- Forbes.com/home-improvement/
- Forbes.com/real-estate/
Recurrent Ventures
Recurrent is a VC-funded digital media group led by Lance Johnson and Alex Vargas (CEO), with dozens of media brands in its vast portfolio. Recurrent is owned by parent company North Equity.
It has acquired smaller media groups such as Livingly Media in recent years. Recurrent previously owned Saveur (1.2M) but has just sold the business to Editor Kat Craddock.
The Recurrent media portfolio currently includes:
- Bob Vila (13M)
- Domino (1.5M)
- Dwell
- Business of Home
- Lonny (700k)
- Jancis Robinson
- Field & Stream
- Outdoor Life (2M)
- Futurism (3M)
- PopPhoto
- Popular Science
- The Drive
- Mel Magazine
- Task & Purpose (2.5M)
- We Are The Mighty
- InterestingThings.com
Penske Media Corporation
PMC is an American digital media and publishing company founded and led by Jay Penske, with a heavy presence in the entertainment industry.
- Entertainment: Variety (24M), Rolling Stone, Hollywood Reporter (15M), Billboard, Deadline
- Fashion: Women’s Wear Daily (2M)
- Lifestyle: SheMedia which includes SheKnows (20M), StyleCaster (7M), and BlogHer
- Art: ARTnews
- Spy.com (1.9M)
Internet Brands
Internet Brands owns several media publishing and e-commerce brands that operate online. Bob Brisco leads the team.
- Medical: WebMD (120M), Vitals.com, HeathBoards.com, SkincareGuide.com
- Lifestyle: DoItYourself.com (2.5M), WeddingBee.com, Fodors.com, FlyerTalk.com, CruiseMates.com, KidsCamps.com, UltimateCoupons.com
- Legal: Lawyers.com, Avvo.com, Loan.com
- Cars: ClubLexus.com (1.5M), AudiWorld.com, CorvetteForum.com
Valnet Inc
Valnet Inc runs several popular media brands in a variety of lifestyle niches. The Canadian company is run by Hassan Youssef. Noteworthy brands include:
- Entertainment: ScreenRant.com (100M), Collider, MovieWeb.com
- Gaming: theGamer.com (37M), GameRant.com
- Cars: TopSpeed.com (2.3M), HotCars.com
- Travel: theTravel.com (2M), SimpleFlying.com
- Sports: theSportster.com
- Tech: PocketNow.com
- Motherhood: Moms.com, Babygaga.com
- People: theRichest.com (1.5M)
Buzzfeed
Buzzfeed rose to success during the wave of “viral” news stories that were quickly shared among Facebook users in the early 2010s. The company has since expanded through a series of acquisitions and launches. It was founded in 2006 and is led by Jonah Peretti.
- Buzzfeed (95M)
- HuffPost.com (60M)
- BuzzfeedNews.com (13M)
- Tasty.co (6M)
- Complex.com (7M)
Condé Nast
Condé Nast is an American media conglomerate that publishes high-brow content for a global audience.
- Fashion: Vogue (10M), Teen Vogue (6M), W Magazine
- Business: Wired (14M), Vogue Business
- Beauty: Glamour (9M), Allure, Self
- Society: Vanity Fair (10M), The New Yorker, Tatler
- Food: Bon Appétit (8M), Epicurious
- Interiors: Architectural Digest (4.6M), House & Garden, The World of Interiors
- Travel: Condé Nast Traveler (4.5M)
- Men: GQ, Pitchfork
The Arena Group
The Arena Group is a media group headed by Ross Levinsohn that primarily publishes in niche sports verticals, with additional lifestyle topics.
- Sports: Sports Illustrated (40M), The Hockey News, The Spun, Surfer, Powder, BikeMag, Snowboarder, Skateboarding
- Finance: The Street (12M), Tough Nickel, Crypto Investor, Dealbreaker
- Lifestyle: Parade (16M), Pet Helpful, Den Garden, Spry Living
- Fashion: Fashionista (1M)
- Food: Delishably (1M), Relish
- Discovery: HubPages
- Men: Men’s Journal
Trusted Media Brands
Trusted Media Brands was formerly known as the Reader’s Digest Association before rebranding. They notably own several video-first media channels such as Fail Army, @thepetcollective, and @thisishappeningofficial.
- Taste of Home (30M)
- Family Handyman (13M)
- Reader’s Digest
- Birds & Blooms
- The Healthy (2M)
- Weatherspy
Future PLC
Future PLC is a British publishing company that has acquired several notable American media brands in recent years.
- Tom’s Guide (26M)
- Cinema Blend (15M)
- Space.com (13M)
- Marie Claire (9M)
- Who What Wear (7M)
- Country Life
- Tech Radar
- Homes & Gardens
- Wallpaper (700k)
- Cycling News
- Decanter (500k)
BDG Media Group
BDG is a media company with a millennial and Gen Z audience founded by Bryan Goldberg, who had previously founded Bleacher Report before selling it to Time Warner.
- Print: W Magazine
- Fashion: Bustle (21M), NYLON, The Zoe Report (3M)
- Lifestyle: Elite Daily (12M)
- Culture: Gawker (2M), Mic, Inverse, and Input
- Parenting: Scary Mommy (4M), Fatherly, Romper, The Dad
Apartment Therapy Media
Apartment Therapy Media operates several online media brands in the women’s interest niche. Maxwell Ryan is the CEO and Founder.
- ApartmentTherapy.com (11M)
- TheKitchn.com (25M)
- CubbyAtHome.com
- DormTherapy.com
Vice Media
Vice Media has become known as the largest independent youth media company on the planet. Founded by Shane Smith, Nancy Dubuc served as CEO before stepping down in 2023.
- Vice.com (24M)
- Refinery29 (11M)
- i-D Magazine
Ziff Davis
Ziff Davis operates several internet businesses including media companies. They even own the famous Moz SEO tools. Vivek R. Shah is the CEO, based in New York City.
- PC Mag (20M)
- Mashable (11M)
- Extreme Tech
- RetailMeNot (18M)
- BlackFriday.com
- Offers.com
- AskMen
- Everyday Health
- BabyCenter
Static Media
Static Media owns several media brands in the entertainment, food, pop culture and lifestyle spaces. The CEO is Reggie Renner, who also founded ZergNet. He is based in Noblesville, Indiana.
- Entertainment: Looper (21M), Slash Film (5M), Grunge.com (5M)
- People/Celebrities: TheList.com (14M), Nicki Swift
- Food: TheDailyMeal.com (10M), Mashed.com (8M), Tasting Table (3M), FoodRepublic.com (2M), Foodie.com
- Female: Glam.com, Women.com
- Travel: Explore.com (2M)
- Health Digest
- House Digest
- SlashGear.com
- WrestlingInc.com
- SVG.com
World of Good Brands (formerly Leaf Group)
World of Good Brands, formerly Leaf Group, is a lifestyle media company and online art marketplace holding company. It owns The Other Art Fair, Saatchi Art, and Society6 in the art space.
The media brands it operates are:
- Only In Your State (14M) – acquired from Scott DeLong for $2 million
- Livestrong.com (11M)
- Hunker (8M)
- eHow.com (4M)
- Well+Good (8M)
- Cuteness.com (1.5M)
- Sapling (1M)
- Techwalla
Its parent company is Graham Holdings Company.
Digital Trends Media Group
Digital Trends Media Group runs several tech and lifestyle media brands. Ian Bell is the founder and CEO, based in Portland, Oregon.
- DigitalTrends.com (16M)
- TheManual.com (2M)
- 21Oak.com
- ToughJobs.com
- NewFolks.com
- HappySprout.com
- Blissmark.com
- PawTracks.com
Vox Media
Vox Media is a leading publisher of current events and lifestyle content with a strong New York audience. Jim Bankoff is the co-founder and CEO based in Washington DC.
- Popsugar (14M)
- New York Magazine (11M)
- Vox
- Now This
- The Cut (5M)
- Vulture
- Intelligencer
- The Strategist (11M)
- Curbed
- Grub Street
- Eater (11M)
- the Verge
- Recode
- Thrillist
- the Dodo
The Chernin Group
The Chernin Group is a media and tech group led by Peter Chernin. It operates a wide variety of internet businesses including the media brands:
- Food52 (7M)
- Surfline (4M)
- the Meateater
- Hello Sunshine
IncNut Digital
IncNut Digital is an Indian media company with several popular lifestyle sites for women.
- Stylecraze (10M)
- MomJunction (7M)
- The Bridal Box
Clique Brands
Clique Brands was a media company founded by journalists Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power in 2006. Its key investor was Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments Fund. The duo founded Who What Wear, a digital fashion blog, Byrdie, a beauty blog, and MyDomaine, a women’s home and lifestyle site. They sold Byrdie and MyDomaine to Dotdash in 2019 and Who What Wear to Future PLC in 2022.
LoveToKnow Media
LoveToKnow Media is a media company based in Vero Beach, FL operating a flagship women’s lifestyle site called LoveToKnow.com, which receives approximately 9 million visitors each month. Spin-off sites include LovetoknowHealth.com and LovetoknowPets.com.
LoveToKnow Media, founded by angel investor Howard Love, also owns media brands:
- YourDictionary.com
- Bibliography.com
- GolfLink.com
Gallery Media Group
Gallery Media Group is a publishing company owned by Gary Vaynerchuk who acquired it under his VaynerX holding company in 2017. Gallery operates two flagship brands.
- PureWow (7M), a women’s lifestyle site
- One 37, men’s culture site
In addition to podcasts, the Gallery group owns several notable social handles including @moms, @recipes, @shows, @cocktails, @selfcare, @healthfood, @crafty, @car, @lasvegas, @mombrain, @catfeed, @doglove, @paint, @crush, and @cheeserank.
Wise Publishing
Wise Publishing is a financial media company run by CEO Kyle Trattner in Toronto, Canada.
- MoneyWise.com (6M)
- Money.ca
- MoneyWise.co.uk
- Investor Junkie (forwards to MoneyWise)
Mansueto Ventures
Mansueto owns two heavy-hitting business publications.
- Inc
- Fast Company (5M)
Quillt Media
Quillt Media was founded in 2016 by Kasey Grelle. In 2023, it was acquired by Ryan Graves’ Saltwater Capital company.
- Travel Awaits (3M)
- Suggest.com (900k)
- Seasons.com
All Gear Digital
All Gear Digital, formerly known as Lola Digital Media, operates a handful of niche interest brands in different verticals. Eric Phung serves as CEO and co-founder.
- SoapHub (5M)
- GearJunkie (1.7M)
- GearHungry
- Improb
- Switch Back Travel (1.7M)
- Bike Rumor (1M)
- The Inertia
- PackHacker
- I Run Far
- WildSnow
- Instash
- Explorers Web
- AutoWise
- PetSide
- MyPetNeedsThat
Reflector Media
Reflector Media is run by Radu Tyrsina and based in Romania. It operates several popular tech news websites.
- Windows Report (3.2M)
- Mac Observer
- VPN Central
Editorialist
Editorialist is a semi-annual magazine and fashion blog published by Kate Davidson Hudson and Stefania Allen. It received about 1.7 million visitors each month.
SANDOW Design Group
Sandow is a traditional media company with a focus on high-end design and luxury consumables. They even have a division that distributes magazines to private jet travelers.
- New Beauty (1.5M)
- Interior Design (200k)
- Leaders Magazine
- Luxe Source (100k)
- Metropolis
VerticalScope Inc.
Vertical Scope operates several niche websites and community forums across many categories such as automotive, power sports, outdoor, home, health, and technology.
- AutoGuide.com automotive websites: toyotanation.com, benzworld.com, and bimmerfest
- Tractor.com
- PetGuide.com network: GermanShepherds.com, GoldenRetrieverForum.com, PoodleForum.com, YorkieForum.com, CatForum.com and FishForums.com
- Wellness: RateMDs.com, Mothering.com, VeggieBoards.com
- Sports: TennisForum.com, FootballForum.com, MMAForum.com, BasketballForum.com, WrestlingForum.com, SkiingForum.com, and SnowBoardingForum.com.
- Technology: HomeTheaterShack.com
Digiday Media
Digiday Media is a business media publisher with industry-specific, professional audiences.
- Digiday (300k): media industry publication
- Glossy: fashion and beauty industry publication
- Modern Retail: retail industry publication
- Worklife: workplace publication
Pear Media Management
Pear Media owns several valuable travel domains and publishes travel content for American and Chinese audiences.
Pear owns London.com, Paris.com, Rome.com, Madrid.com, GreatBritain.com, Italy.com, Spain.com, Sweden.com, Russia.com, Turkey.com, Hungary.com, Panama.com, America.com, Brazil.com, Chinese.com, Tokyo.com, Japan.com, Pakistan.com, Mongolia.com, and Singapore.com.
Angry Owl Technology Group
Angry Owl is a Nebraska publishing business founded by Andrew Helling.
- TravellersWorldwide.com (1M)
- DapperMane.com
- Rethority.com
MMC Media LLC
MMC Media was founded by Mckinzie Bean and operates women’s lifestyle websites for beauty, skincare, and makeup tips.
- WeHeartThis.com (500k)
- MomsMakeCents.com
Northern Lights Media LLC
Northern Lights is run by David Weliver and operates a website in the financial space.
- Money Under 30 (700k)