Eric Church and Morgan Wallen bought the dead Field & Stream brand and unified it

Field & Stream dates its brand to 1871, but its magazine was a mainstay of American outdoor life mainly from 1895 to 2015. After print died the brand split in two: the retail side of the trademark sat with Dick's Sporting Goods while the digital media platform ended up with Recurrent Ventures, an owner of once-print media brands.

In January 2024 country music artists Eric Church and Morgan Wallen, leading a group of brand builders, acquired the retail trademark from Dick's and the media platform from Recurrent, unifying Field & Stream under one owner for the first time in its history. The team was led by Doug McNamee, former president of Chip and Joanna Gaines' Magnolia brand, with Colin Kearns staying on as editor-in-chief.

The relaunch was built around the Field & Stream 1871 Club: members pay for a large-format print magazine published twice a year, members-only gear, a revived Honor Badge pin and priority access to a new outdoor music festival co-produced by Southern Entertainment. Ten percent of the club's net profits go to outdoor conservation non-profits. In June 2024 the first print edition in four years — 160 pages, with a feature written by Church — shipped to club members.

The brand was unified under one owner for the first time in its 150-year history, and a 160-page print issue returned in June 2024 through the paid 1871 Club.

Church and Wallen are genuine outdoorsmen whose childhood memories of the magazine make the revival an authentic story fans want to pay into, not a licensing stunt.

The 1871 Club decouples the magazine from collapsed newsstand and advertising economics; members fund print upfront.

Buying both halves of the trademark finally allows one owner to cross-sell media, apparel, festivals and a marketplace for outdoor makers.

The 10% conservation pledge matches the brand's own history of conservation advocacy and its audience's identity.

Nostalgia alone cannot revive a magazine. The fix was changing the business model to membership, so print becomes a paid perk instead of a loss-making newsstand product.

The print revival reached members as promised in June 2024, but the brand's festival pillar stumbled: the inaugural Field & Stream Music Festival in South Carolina was canceled in 2024 because of Hurricane Helene, and on 29 August 2025 the rescheduled October event was canceled again for unexplained 'circumstances beyond our control', with refunds issued. The brand continues through the membership club, digital platform and apparel while the festival formula remains unproven.