NorthWake Media sets out to modernise boating research with PowerBoatLife.com
Steven Bull founder of NorthWake Media Group filming advert for Freedom Boat Club
NorthWake Media Group has opened a US$1.5m (approx. C$2.0m) funding round to develop PowerBoatLife.com, an AI-enabled product-discovery and learning platform aimed at transforming how boaters research, learn and make purchasing decisions. The initiative also signals a broader ambition to consolidate a marine media landscape the company says has struggled to keep pace with modern digital behaviour.
The funding will support platform development, key hires, and expanded content production with the aim of positioning NorthWake Media Group as a next-gen consumer boating media and insights network.
Canadian-founded NorthWake Media Group, founded by broadcaster Steven Bull, says it operates at the intersection of journalism, factual entertainment, and product discovery. Its portfolio includes PowerBoat TV and Water Ways TV with audiences across broadcast television, YouTube, and live events in Canada and the United States.
Addressing fragmentation in marine media and information
The company says that the marine industry’s information infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with consumer’s digital research as, for decades, boating information has been scattered across sponsorship-driven media, paid listings, outdated manuals, and disconnected video platforms.
“Boaters are creating intent everywhere, but the industry has no unified place to capture it, understand it, or respond to it in a meaningful way,” says Bull. “That fragmentation doesn’t just affect commerce, it affects safety. And the fastest way to lose a boater – and customer – is to scare them.”
Thus PowerboatLife.com is being built to be a ‘boater-first’ hub, unifying verified listings, safety-vetted technical advice, and AI-powered search in one destination.
PowerBoat TV and Water Ways anchor the ecosystem
The platform brings together NorthWake Media’s growing portfolio of brands, anchored by Water Ways and Powerboat TV, while laying the foundation for future acquisitions. Aggregated search behaviour will also identify content gaps and directly inform the creation of new, high-demand educational and product-focused content.
At the centre of the strategy is PowerBoat TV – with 32,000 active subscribers on YouTube – which was acquired by Bull in January 2026. The brand is now undergoing a full digital relaunch.
Also in the company’s stable is Water Ways TV. That’s a lifestyle-driven factual entertainment series created by Bull. The program currently airs across one American and three Canadian broadcast channels, reaching approximately 157,000 television viewers per episode.
Building a scalable media and insights network
The US$1.5m funding round will support:
- development of PowerBoatLife.com’s AI-enabled discovery platform
- key hires across editorial operations, partnerships, and product execution
- expanded production through 2026 and 2027
- selective acquisitions of undervalued boating media brands to consolidate fragmented audiences
By combining established broadcast brands with AI-driven discovery and data-informed content creation, NorthWake Media Group is positioning itself at the intersection of media, commerce and education. As PowerBoatLife.com takes shape, the company believes a more connected, boater-first ecosystem could unlock safer participation, clearer buying journeys and a more sustainable future for marine media.
