The Athletic
The Athletic is a subscription-based digital sports media platform serving sports enthusiasts with original journalism, podcasts, newsletters, fantasy tools, and prediction contests across professional and collegiate leagues worldwide, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of The New York Times Company.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The Athletic does
The Athletic is a subscription-based digital sports media company that publishes original journalism, live coverage, podcasts, newsletters, and interactive sports content for sports enthusiasts across North America and international markets. Founded in 2015 and acquired by The New York Times Company for $550 million in 2022, it operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary and is distributed via nytimes.com/athletic and native iOS and Android applications, with U.S. and International (UK) editions. The editorial footprint spans NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WNBA, college sports, Premier League, Champions League, MLS, NWSL, Formula 1, tennis, golf, Olympics, and emerging verticals such as women's sports and motorsports.
The platform's product surface extends well beyond articles. Add-on modules include Fantasy Baseball, Football, Basketball, and Hockey; Pick'em prediction contests that compete user picks against writers and a proprietary algorithm; the daily Connections: Sports Edition and Soccer Edition puzzles; and more than a dozen email newsletters such as The Pulse, The Bounce, The Windup, No Offseason, Until Saturday, Prime Tire, and The Athletic FC. Embedded commerce integrations with BetMGM (odds), StubHub (tickets), eBay (collectibles), and Fubo (streaming) point to a strategy of turning reading sessions into commerce actions.
The Athletic makes money almost entirely through direct-to-consumer subscription revenue. New users receive a 7-day free trial and are then billed $2 every four weeks for the first year (introductory rate), stepping up to $8 every four weeks thereafter. The customer base sits in the low-millions, and the company employs 501-1,000 staff. Distribution is self-serve product-led growth via web and mobile, with cross-promotional leverage from the NYT subscriber base and infrastructure.
The Athletic firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Athletic
- Legal name
- The Athletic Media Company
- Website
- https://theathletic.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- The Athletic is a subscription-based digital sports media platform serving sports enthusiasts with original journalism, podcasts, newsletters, fantasy tools, and prediction contests across professional and collegiate leagues worldwide, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of The New York Times Company.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Athletic industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Sports Media
- NAICS
- Spectator Sports (71121)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sports Highlights, Clips & VOD Libraries (MPAKAOAF)
Keywords
Where The Athletic is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Athletic business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Subscription Revenue: The Athletic generates revenue primarily through digital subscriptions. The subscription model offers a 7-day free trial, then converts to paid subscriptions at $2/month for the first year (introductory rate), then $8/month thereafter. This is the primary revenue stream for the company.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard digital subscription with full access to all content |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Athletic product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Athletic is a direct-to-consumer subscription platform that publishes original, ad-free sports journalism, live coverage, analysis, podcasts, newsletters, and interactive features across all major U.S. professional leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WNBA, MLS, NWSL), college sports, international soccer (Premier League, Champions League), tennis, golf, Formula 1, and global events including the FIFA World Cup. The offering is bundled with engagement products such as fantasy sports games, daily puzzle games, prediction contests (Pick'em), and commerce integrations for tickets, betting odds, collectibles, and live streaming.
Product overview
The Athletic is a subscription-based digital sports media platform offering original sports journalism, live coverage, and interactive features across professional and collegiate sports leagues worldwide. The core platform is complemented by a suite of add-on products including fantasy sports games (Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Football, Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Hockey), daily puzzle games (Connections: Sports Edition, Connections: Soccer Edition), prediction contests (Pick'em), and email newsletters (The Pulse, The Bounce, The Windup, No Offseason, Until Saturday, NFL Newsletter, The Athletic FC). The platform is accessible via native iOS and Android mobile applications, and integrates sports betting odds (BetMGM), event tickets (StubHub), collectibles marketplace (eBay), and live streaming (Fubo) to provide a comprehensive sports media and commerce experience. The Athletic is a subsidiary of The New York Times Company.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Athletic: Subscription-based sports journalism platform covering multiple sports including NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, soccer, tennis, golf, and college sports
- The Athletic FC
- Connections: Sports Edition
- The Pulse Newsletter
- The Bounce
- The Windup
- No Offseason
- Until Saturday
- Prime Tire
- Full Time
Products and services
- The Athletic Core Subscription Platform A direct-to-consumer subscription product providing original, ad-free sports journalism, live coverage, analysis, podcasts, and newsletters across all major professional and college sports leagues worldwide. Includes a 7-day free trial, then $2 every four weeks for the first year and $8 every four weeks thereafter.
- Fantasy Baseball Fantasy baseball platform enabling users to create teams, compete, and track player statistics throughout the MLB season. Available to subscribers of The Athletic.
- Fantasy Football Fantasy football platform for NFL coverage allowing users to manage fantasy teams, access projections, and track player performance. Available to subscribers of The Athletic.
- Fantasy Basketball Fantasy basketball platform for NBA coverage enabling users to build and manage fantasy teams. Available to subscribers of The Athletic.
- Fantasy Hockey Fantasy hockey platform for NHL coverage allowing users to create and manage fantasy hockey teams. Available to subscribers of The Athletic.
- Connections: Sports Edition A daily word puzzle game where players group sports-related terms into four categories based on common themes, published in partnership with The New York Times. Available to subscribers of The Athletic.
- Connections: Soccer Edition A soccer-themed version of the Connections word puzzle game featuring soccer-related vocabulary and terminology. Available to subscribers of The Athletic.
- Pick'em Prediction Contest Sports prediction contest platform where users compete against The Athletic's writers and an algorithm to predict match outcomes across various sports leagues and tournaments. Available to subscribers of The Athletic.
Companies that use The Athletic
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Athletic technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Athletic partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Athletic competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SB Nation: Vox Media-owned network of team-specific sports blogs and national verticals covering all major leagues. Comparable as a digital-first, team-focused sports media network with overlapping editorial coverage and fan engagement.
- Sports Illustrated: Historic sports media brand (now under The Arena Group / Minute Media) producing sports journalism, analysis, and multimedia. Comparable as a multi-sport subscription-adjacent sports editorial brand with deep league coverage and a parallel monetization challenge.
- Bleacher Report: Turner/Warner Bros. Discovery-owned digital sports media property targeting younger fans with team-specific content, social distribution, and short-form video. Comparable as a major digital-first sports publisher competing for fan attention and ad/subscription dollars.
- The Ringer: Spotify-owned digital sports and pop-culture media brand built around podcasts, written analysis, and commentary. Directly comparable as a subscription-adjacent digital sports media brand with strong podcast-led engagement.
- Barstool Sports: Penn Entertainment-backed digital sports media brand known for opinionated commentary, podcasts, and personality-driven content. Comparable as a digital sports media company competing for the same fan demographic with a different editorial tone.
- ESPN+ (Disney): Disney's direct-to-consumer sports streaming subscription bundled with ESPN content and rights. Most directly comparable to The Athletic as a paid digital sports subscription product for fans seeking premium coverage and analysis.
Emerging players
- FanSided: Network of 300+ team and sport-specific sites producing fan-driven sports content, owned by Minute Media. Comparable as a multi-sport digital publisher with team-focused coverage, though reliant on ad/affiliate rather than subscription.
- Front Office Sports: Digital media brand focused on the business of sports (deals, leagues, media rights). Comparable as a subscription-oriented sports media brand serving engaged sports business and fandom audiences.
Broad incumbents
- The New York Times (Games / Cooking cross-sell): The Athletic's parent company and bundling partner, which cross-sells The Athletic within its broader subscription bundle alongside Games, Cooking, and Wirecutter. Relevant as both an internal benchmark and the distribution channel determining The Athletic's reach.
- The Sporting News: Established legacy sports media brand producing editorial coverage across leagues. Comparable as a broad sports editorial competitor with historical brand equity but a different digital monetization model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Athletic social profiles
Digital presenceThe Athletic financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Athletic leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
The Athletic funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds9 records
Investors19 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Athletic M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Athletic
What does The Athletic do?
The Athletic is a direct-to-consumer subscription platform that publishes original, ad-free sports journalism, live coverage, analysis, podcasts, newsletters, and interactive features across all major U.S. professional leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WNBA, MLS, NWSL), college sports, international soccer (Premier League, Champions League), tennis, golf, Formula 1, and global events including the FIFA World Cup. The offering is bundled with engagement products such as fantasy sports games, daily puzzle games, prediction contests (Pick'em), and commerce integrations for tickets, betting odds, collectibles, and live streaming.
Is The Athletic a public or private company?
The Athletic is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was The Athletic founded?
The Athletic was founded in 2016. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is The Athletic based?
The Athletic is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Athletic make money?
One revenue line is on record: subscription Revenue.
Who are The Athletic's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SB Nation, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, The Ringer, Barstool Sports and ESPN+ (Disney). Emerging players are FanSided and Front Office Sports. Broad incumbents are The New York Times (Games / Cooking cross-sell) and The Sporting News.
Does The Athletic have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Athletic.
What industry is The Athletic in?
The Athletic's product category is Digital Sports Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAOAF, Sports Highlights, Clips & VOD Libraries. Its NAICS code is 71121 and its SIC code is 7990.