If you’ve been paying attention to the media world lately, you’ve probably noticed a pattern: layoffs, rebrands that feel like surrender, and a whole lot of “doing more with less.” Cute.
Meanwhile, Bleecker Street Publications (BSP) has been busy doing the opposite; building, launching, reviving, and generally stepping on the gas while others are tapping the brakes. Call it confidence. Call it conviction. Call it main-character energy backed by execution.
Athlon Outdoors 2.0: Built for Speed
First up, Athlon Outdoors 2.0. This wasn’t a coat of paint or a “please clap” redesign. The updated AthlonOutdoors.com is faster, cleaner, and unapologetically modern; because if you’re going to dominate digital, you don’t do it with duct tape and hope.
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The new platform reinforces Athlon’s role as a serious authority in firearms, gear, and outdoor culture, while making it easier for readers to find what they want, and harder for competitors to keep up.
Open Air Media: Expansion, Not Excuses
Then there’s Open Air Media, BSP’s newest creative division. This move wasn’t about chasing trends, it was about owning them. Open Air Media expands BSP’s reach into premium video, experiential storytelling, and brand-forward content that actually resonates.
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Translation: higher production value, bigger ideas, and fewer compromises.
Skillset Evolves, Tactical Knives Returns
BSP also made a bold editorial move by repositioning Skillset, allowing it to focus harder on its core mission. That evolution opened the door for the full-scale return of Tactical Knives, back as its own dedicated vertical and sharper than ever.
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This wasn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. Tactical Knives came back because the audience demanded it. And BSP delivered with modern coverage that respects the category’s heritage while pushing it forward.
Rotten Gun Reviews: No Marketing Fluff Allowed
If you like your gun reviews sugar-coated, Rotten Gun Reviews is not for you. This new series cuts straight through the nonsense with brutally honest takes on firearms…good, bad, and ugly.
It’s real, it’s blunt, and it reinforces what Ballistic has always stood for: credibility earned on the range, not bought in a boardroom.
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Athlon Untamed & the Rise of Hunting Content
Expansion didn’t stop there. BSP launched Athlon Untamed, a new vertical dedicated to hunting, conservation, and life beyond the firing line. That momentum carried straight into the first-ever Ballistic’s Best Hunting Edition, officially planting a flag in territory BSP plans to dominate.
Hunting isn’t a side quest, it’s a core pillar, and BSP is treating it that way.
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Ballistic’s Best 2025: Still the Benchmark
Speaking of dominance, Ballistic’s Best 2025 proved once again why it remains the industry standard. Real testing. Real people. Real results.
The program culminated in the Editors’ Choice Awards, highlighting the best firearms and gear of the year. No participation trophies, no politics, just performance.
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Beyond content and awards, BSP continues to invest in the community itself. The partnership with Walk The Talk America (WTTA) bridges firearms culture with mental health awareness, proving that leadership means tackling real issues, not just easy ones.
Rendezvous: Where Magic Happens
And then there’s Rendezvous. BSP’s ultra-exclusive event returned last year in reimagined form and absolutely delivered. No trade-show carpet. No awkward booth small talk. Just real testing, real conversations, and real access, captured in a sizzle reel that speaks for itself.
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This year’s event is already shaping up to be even bigger.
Word from the Top
According to Emily Long, Chair of The Board and Chief Legal Counsel of Bleecker Street Publications, this momentum is just the beginning:
“I’m incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished. Every launch, every relaunch, every new initiative was built with intention and belief in what this company can be. We’ve laid an incredibly strong foundation, and I’m excited to build on it. And yes, we’ve got a couple more surprises coming.”
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Final Word
While everyone else is downsizing, Bleecker Street Publications is expanding. While others are hedging bets, BSP is making moves. This isn’t reckless growth, it’s intentional, aggressive, and earned.
Because believing in the future is one thing…Building it is another.