What Sporting News does

Sporting News, operating under Sporting News Holdings, is a privately held digital sports media company that publishes comprehensive coverage across major professional and collegiate leagues — NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, Soccer (including a dedicated 2026 FIFA World Cup hub), NCAAF/NCAAMB/NCAAMB, WNBA, Boxing, MMA, F1, NASCAR, Golf, Tennis, Darts, and Olympics — through sportingnews.com and 13+ localized international editions spanning the US, Argentina, Australia, Brasil, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico, Korea, Spain, Thailand, UK, and Vietnam in English and Spanish. Founded in St. Louis in 1886 by Alfred H. Spink as a weekly newspaper, the company ceased print publication in December 2012 and operates today as a digital-first, free-to-consumer platform with sub-brands including SN 140 (historical moments), The Archive, Fantasy Sports, Sports Betting guides, Prediction Markets, and Watch Guides. The underlying platform combines a content management system with sports data presentation, streaming video integrations (Fox, NBC, Peacock, ESPN, Paramount+, fubo, DAZN, Apple TV, YouTube TV), and — via a 2025 partnership with FairPlay Sports Media — AI-powered BetTech providing real-time odds and bet comparison across UK, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico.

The business model is multi-stream and transactionally oriented: display and native advertising, affiliate commissions from StubHub (ticketing) and Fanatics (merchandise), revenue-sharing with sportsbook operators (DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, bet365, Fanatics, theScore Bet, Underdog), content partnerships (Catena Media, FairPlay), and direct operational control of the SuperDraft daily fantasy sports platform acquired as part of a $15 million Playtech-led round in September 2023. TSN serves two primary end segments — general sports enthusiasts and sports bettors — alongside secondary audiences in fantasy players and league/team sponsorship counterparties. Distribution is horizontal across geographies and sports, with editorial leadership under Benson Taylor, the 15th Editor-in-Chief in the company's 140-year history, and co-CEOs Martyn Jones and Shaun Koiner overseeing a headcount of 101–250 employees.

Name

Sporting News

Legal name

Sporting News Holdings

Website

https://sportingnews.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sporting News is a privately held, 140-year-old digital sports media company offering free, ad-supported coverage of major leagues across 13+ international editions, monetized through advertising, affiliate commissions, sportsbook partnerships, and the SuperDraft DFS platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Sports Media

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports & Recreation Magazines (MPAJAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Data/Stats & Betting Rights Distribution (Official Data Feeds) (MPABAJAL), Sponsorship & Sports Media Rights Buying (MPAAABAO)

Keywords

• Sports news media
• Sports coverage
• Sports betting content
• Fantasy sports
• Digital sports publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising: Display advertising, sponsored content, and native advertising across the digital platform. Revenue generated through page views, impressions, and branded content partnerships.
2. Affiliate/Referral Revenue: Commission revenue from ticket sales (StubHub), merchandise (Fanatics), and sportsbook referrals. The site earns commissions when users click through to purchase tickets or bet on partnered platforms.
3. Betting Partnerships: Revenue sharing arrangements with sports betting operators including DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, bet365, and others through integrated betting content and promotional partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sporting News is a global digital sports media platform that publishes free editorial coverage (news, scores, schedules, standings, statistics, analysis, and historical archives) across major professional and collegiate sports leagues, supplemented by sports betting guides, fantasy sports content, prediction markets coverage, and streaming watch guides. The company monetizes its audience through display and native advertising, affiliate commissions from ticketing (StubHub) and merchandise (Fanatics) partners, and revenue-share partnerships with sportsbook operators such as DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365.

Product overview

Sporting News is a digital sports media platform offering comprehensive coverage across multiple sports leagues and content verticals. The platform provides a unified sports news and information service with dedicated sections for NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, Soccer (including World Cup), NCAAF, NCAAMB, NCAAWB, WNBA, Boxing, MMA, WWE, F1, NASCAR, Golf, Tennis, College, High School, Darts, Horse Racing, and Olympics. The platform also includes Fantasy Sports (football and baseball), Sports Betting guides with sportsbook integrations, Prediction Markets, Watch guides for streaming services, Shop, Tickets, and SN 140 (140 Greatest Sports Moments). The company operates globally with multiple regional editions including US, Argentina, Australia, Brasil, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, UK, and Vietnam.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SN 140: 140 Greatest Sports Moments list celebrating 140 years of coverage
• The Archive
• FairPlay BetTech Partnership

Products and services

• NFL Coverage Comprehensive National Football League editorial coverage including breaking news, team pages, scores, schedules, standings, statistics, depth charts, transactions, and injury reports for all 32 NFL teams, targeting NFL fans and fantasy players.
• NBA Coverage National Basketball Association editorial coverage featuring news, teams, scores, schedules, standings, statistics, transactions, injuries, and playoff coverage for all NBA teams, targeting NBA fans.
• MLB Coverage Major League Baseball editorial coverage including news, teams, scores, schedules, standings, statistics, transactions, injuries, and playoff coverage for all MLB teams, targeting baseball fans.
• NHL Coverage National Hockey League editorial coverage featuring news, teams, scores, schedules, standings, statistics, transactions, injuries, and playoff coverage for all NHL teams, targeting hockey fans.
• Soccer Coverage Soccer editorial coverage including FIFA World Cup, USMNT, major domestic and international leagues, with schedules, scores, standings, and news targeting global soccer fans.
• Boxing and MMA Coverage Combat sports editorial coverage including boxing and mixed martial arts news, fight previews and recaps, rankings, and event information for combat sports fans.
• F1 and NASCAR Coverage Motorsports editorial coverage including Formula 1 and NASCAR race news, schedules, standings, and driver information for motorsports fans.
• Sports Betting Content Sports betting guides, sportsbook reviews, apps, promos, odds comparisons, and legal sports betting information integrated with sportsbook operators, targeting sports bettors seeking wagering information.
• Fantasy Sports Content Fantasy sports editorial content covering football and baseball with player news, rankings, statistics, depth charts, transactions, and injury information for daily and season-long fantasy league players.
• Prediction Markets Coverage Prediction markets editorial coverage and guides for Kalshi, DraftKings Predictions, and Fanatics Markets, including how-to content for trading event contracts on sporting outcomes.
• Watch Guides
• SN 140 Greatest Sports Moments 140th anniversary editorial initiative celebrating Sporting News' coverage history with rankings of the greatest sports moments, teams, and players drawn from 140 years of archives (1886 to present).
• 2026 FIFA World Cup Hub Dedicated 2026 FIFA World Cup editorial hub providing schedules, scores, standings, USMNT news, betting guides, and ticket information for the North American co-hosted tournament.
• International Regional Editions Localized international editions of the Sporting News platform operating across 13+ markets including US (English and Spanish), Argentina, Australia, Brasil, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, UK, and Vietnam, with content available in multiple languages.

Quantifiable outcome

• Comprehensive coverage of NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, Soccer, NCAA, Boxing, MMA, WWE, F1, NASCAR, Golf, Tennis, Darts, and Olympics

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

AI capability3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• NovigminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 June 2026Promotional partnership offering Sporting News readers a $50 bonus (in Novig Coins) by spending $5 on the platform using promo code TSNEWS50.
• 10Ten MediaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026Collaboration with 10Ten Media to revive the Sporting News College Football Preview after a decade-long hiatus, combined with McClatchy Lifestyle & Entertainment for distribution.
• McClatchy Lifestyle & EntertainmentminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 June 2026Distribution partner for the Sporting News College Football Preview, helping reach audiences through McClatchy's media network.
• FairPlay Sports MediacoreTechnology or Integration · 30 July 2025Strategic partnership deploying AI-powered betting technology (BetTech) across global markets including UK, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico. FairPlay provides real-time odds, offers, and bet comparison products to enhance monetization and digital betting initiatives.
• SuperDraftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2023Strategic investment in SuperDraft, a daily fantasy sports platform that TSN operates and leverages to generate new revenue and audience engagement. Part of TSN's pivot towards transactional revenue streams.
• Catena MediaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2023Three-year content and commercial media partnership for sports betting content integration. Catena Media provides sports betting content and commercial media services to Sporting News platforms.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Deadspin: Independently operated digital sports media site (formerly Gawker Media). Direct peer in the digital-only sports news category with a similar horizontal, ad/affiliate-supported model.
• The Athletic: Subscription-based digital sports media company with deep local team coverage and recently acquired by the New York Times. Directly comparable to TSN in digital sports publishing, editorial model, and audience targeting, though differentiated by its subscription paywall.
• SB Nation: Vox Media-owned network of team-focused sports blogs. Direct competitor in digital sports publishing with comparable free content model, although skewed more toward fan/blog voices than TSN's traditional journalism.
• Bleacher Report: Turner/Warner Bros. Discovery-owned digital sports media property covering major US leagues. Closest direct competitor to TSN given overlapping league coverage, free content model, and strong reliance on social distribution and betting integrations.
• theScore (now part of PENN Entertainment): Digital sports media and betting app operator with a Canada-first footprint. Directly comparable to TSN in combining scores/news media with a sportsbook-affiliated monetization model via theScore Bet.
• Sports Illustrated: Iconic US sports media brand operated by The Arena Group. Most analogous to TSN given shared legacy magazine heritage transitioning to digital, broad multi-sport coverage, and heavy betting affiliate monetization.

Broad incumbents

• ESPN Digital: Disney-owned dominant US sports media platform with the largest editorial staff, exclusive video rights, and ESPN+ subscription product. Sets the competitive ceiling for TSN across news, scores, and betting content.
• Yahoo Sports: Major portal-based sports media property with deep NFL and fantasy integrations. Competes with TSN for SEO-driven sports news traffic and betting audience, but operates as part of a much broader consumer platform.

Emerging players

• Action Network: Sports betting-focused media and data company owned by Better Collective. Competes with TSN specifically in the betting content, odds analysis, and sportsbook affiliate vertical.
• 247Sports: CBSSports-owned digital college sports media property. Overlaps with TSN's NCAAF/NCAAMB coverage in particular and is a strong reference for how legacy digital sports properties are bundled inside larger media organizations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sportingnews

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sporting News