BOZEMAN, Mont., Oct. 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tapping into an $80 billion dollar market, renowned writer, TV, and podcast personality Steven Rinella has launched MeatEater, Inc., a newly-formed outdoor lifestyle media and commerce company, with an investment from The Chernin Group. Host of the Netflix show MeatEater and The MeatEater Podcast, Rinella has gained wide popularity through his passion for outdoor adventure and wild foods, as well as his strong commitment to conservation.
MeatEater, Inc. will serve Rinella’s strong community of fans and followers, while building upon Rinella’s ability to translate the hunting and fishing lifestyle and field-to-table culinary aesthetic to a broad range of audiences. MeatEater, Inc. will expand its online editorial, video, and podcast output; purvey unique apparel and equipment; and produce innovative events and experiences.
In addition to Rinella, MeatEater’s content offering will feature other leading influencers in the outdoor space including April Vokey, fly fishing guide and host of the Anchored with April Vokey podcast; Mark Kenyon, creator of Wired to Hunt and host of the Wired to Hunt podcast; professional wild foods chef Eduardo Garcia; Ben O’Brien, host of The Hunting Collective podcast; as well as others to be announced soon.
“Our whole team loves the outdoors, regards it as sacred, and believes that a deeper connection to nature enriches all of our lives,” said Steven Rinella. “We are excited to build a community that is invested in understanding and exploring the natural world.”
MeatEater, Inc. has hired outdoor industry veteran Kevin Sloan as Chief Executive Officer, joining the company from Sitka Gear, a technical hunting apparel company, where he led the business as president for nearly a decade. Sloan will oversee strategy and operations including merchandising, business development, sponsorship sales, and digital product development. Rinella will serve as Chief Creative Officer, directing content strategy for the company, while continuing to host the weekly MeatEater Podcast (which typically leads the ‘outdoor’ podcast category on Apple Podcasts) and TV productions. He will also be a featured editorial contributor on the MeatEater website.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to join with Steven Rinella to grow our mission of responsible wildlife and land management to even greater reach and impact,” said Kevin Sloan. “By bringing together experts from a wide range of pursuits and experiences, and complementing their great content with distinctive consumer products, we aim to make MeatEater the go-to brand for those who love the outdoors."
At its core, MeatEater targets a substantial consumer base. According to a 2017 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report, more than 40% of the U.S. population aged 16 and over participated in wildlife-related activities in 2016, with approximately 40 million Americans identifying themselves as anglers and/or hunters and spending more than $80 billion dollars annually in those pursuits.
“With a passionate audience of Steven Rinella fans, a large addressable market of sporting enthusiasts, and a broad cultural acceptance of the merits of conservation and responsible food procurement, MeatEater is poised to be a transformative brand,” said Jason Bergsman, Executive Vice President of The Chernin Group. “Steven Rinella and Kevin Sloan are the right partners to build a great business in this space.”
Season 7 of MeatEater, a Netflix Original series jointly produced with Zero Point Zero Productions, a shareholder in MeatEater, Inc., premieres on Netflix today, October 2, 2018. Rinella’s sixth book, The MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook: Recipes and Techniques for Every Hunter and Angler, will be published by Random House/Spiegel & Grau on November 20, 2018.
More information and content can be found at www.themeateater.com.
About The Chernin Group, LLC
Founded in 2010, The Chernin Group is a privately held, independent media holding company that manages, invests in and operates businesses in the media, entertainment, consumer, and technology industries.
About MeatEater, Inc.
MeatEater, Inc. is an outdoor lifestyle media and commerce company founded by renowned writer, TV, and podcast personality Steven Rinella and The Chernin Group. With the belief that a deeper understanding of the natural world enriches all of our lives, MeatEater, Inc. brings together leading influencers in the categories of fishing, hunting, wild foods, and conservation to create premium content and experiences and provide unique apparel and equipment. MeatEater, Inc. is based in Bozeman, MT.
About Steven Rinella
Steven Rinella is an avid outdoorsman, writer, and television personality who has gained wide popularity through his passion for outdoor adventure and wild foods, as well as his strong commitment to conservation. His weekly MeatEater podcast (distributed on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, and Stitcher) is the most popular podcast in the outdoor category on Apple. His MeatEater TV show is featured on Netflix, where its seventh season debuts on October 2, 2018. Prior seasons appear on Sportsman Channel. He is the author of six books published by Random House/Spiegel & Grau including: “MeatEater: Adventures from the Life of an American Hunter;” the two-volume series: “The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game;” “American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon;” “The Scavenger’s Guide to Haute Cuisine;” and the forthcoming “MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook: Recipes and Techniques for Every Hunter and Angler” (Nov. 20, 2018). His articles have appeared in publications such as: Field and Stream; Men’s Journal; Outside; Glamour; O, The Oprah Magazine; Men’s Health; The New York Times; Bowhunter; and the anthologies Best American Travel Writing (2003, 2010, 2014 and 2016) and Best Food Writing (2005, 2013). Rinella is the recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership’s 2017 Conservation Achievement Award.
Media contact:
Kristin Sosanie
LaunchSquad for MeatEater
meateater@launchsquad.com
212-564-3665