Outsports
Outsports is a 100% LGBTQ+ owned digital media brand publishing news, features, and documentary video on LGBTQ+ athletes and sports culture since 1999, serving LGBTQ+ sports fans, athletes, and allies through a free, reader-supported model with tiered memberships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Outsports does
Outsports is a Los Angeles-based digital media brand founded in November 1999 that publishes news, features, opinion, and documentary video coverage focused exclusively on LGBTQ+ athletes, coaches, and sports culture. It serves LGBTQ+ sports fans, LGBTQ+ athletes seeking visibility, and allies, operating as a 100% LGBTQ+ owned outlet with a 16,000+ article archive and coverage spanning major sporting events including the Olympics and World Cup (e.g., tracking 47 openly LGBTQ+ athletes at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics). The core product is the Outsports.com website, complemented by editorial sub-brands (Soccer Power 26, Power 100, Out Athletes, Being Out video series), a weekly newsletter, and multi-platform social distribution across Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, Bluesky, YouTube, and WhatsApp.
Outsports is part of the Q.Digital family of LGBTQ+ media brands, which includes Queerty, GayCities, LGBTQ Nation, LGBTQ Outpost, and INTO; Q.Digital provides corporate infrastructure while Outsports maintains editorial independence. The business model is reader-supported: all journalism is free, with revenue derived from tiered recurring memberships ($5-$50/month, $60-$365/year) and one-time contributions, supported by 'hundreds' of paying members. The company has a small team of 1-10 employees, accepts no venture capital, and has earned a 2026 GLAAD Media Award nomination for its 'Being Out' video series.
Outsports firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Outsports
- Legal name
- Outsports
- Website
- https://outsports.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Outsports is a 100% LGBTQ+ owned digital media brand publishing news, features, and documentary video on LGBTQ+ athletes and sports culture since 1999, serving LGBTQ+ sports fans, athletes, and allies through a free, reader-supported model with tiered memberships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Outsports is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Outsports business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Subscriptions: Reader-supported membership model offering monthly ($5-$50) and annual ($60-$365) tiers. All journalism remains free for non-members; memberships provide impact reports and voice in coverage priorities.
- One-Time Contributions: Accepts one-time donations of various amounts as alternative to recurring membership. Recurring support preferred for stable funding.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Entry-level monthly support |
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard monthly support |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium monthly support |
| Subscription | Monthly | Top monthly support |
| Subscription | Annual | Entry-level annual support |
| Subscription | Annual | Standard annual support |
| Subscription | Annual | Premium annual support |
| Subscription | Annual | Top annual support |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | One-time contribution |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels12 records
Outsports product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Outsports publishes LGBTQ+ sports journalism on its website, covering news, features, athlete profiles, coming-out stories, and opinion pieces focused on out LGBTQ+ athletes and queer sports issues. The site distributes content through a weekly newsletter and across social media platforms, and sustains its operations through a reader-supported membership program with tiered monthly and annual pricing while keeping all journalism free.
Product overview
Outsports is a reader-supported LGBTQ+ sports media website operating as a unified digital platform. The core product is the Outsports.com website, which publishes news, features, and analysis covering LGBTQ athletes and sports issues. The portfolio includes themed content channels: the Soccer Power 26 annual honoree list for men's soccer, the Out Athletes editorial channel, and the Being Out documentary video series profiling 9 LGBTQ athletes per season. Supporting offerings include a membership program with tiered pricing ($5-$50/month or $60-$365/year) and a weekly newsletter, all designed to fund independent LGBTQ+ sports journalism while keeping content free for readers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Soccer Power 26: Annual list of influential LGBTQ people in men's soccer
- Power 100
- Being Out
Products and services
- Outsports Website Core LGBTQ+ sports media website publishing news, features, and analysis covering LGBTQ athletes and sports issues since 1999.
- Soccer Power 26 Annual editorial list celebrating out LGBTQ people making a difference in men's soccer, released to coincide with the World Cup.
- Out Athletes Channel Editorial channel featuring stories about openly LGBTQ athletes, their achievements, coming out experiences, and impact on sports.
- Being Out Video Series
Quantifiable outcome
- Record 47 LGBTQ+ athletes tracked at 2026 Winter Olympics
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Outsports
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Outsports technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Outsports partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Q.DigitalcoreParent company/family brand that owns Outsports along with other LGBTQ+ media properties including Queerty, GayCities, LGBTQ Nation, LGBTQ Outpost, and INTO. Q.Digital provides corporate infrastructure while Outsports maintains editorial independence.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Outsports competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bleacher Report: Bleacher Report is a large-scale digital sports media outlet covering mainstream and niche sports. It is comparable to Outsports as a digital sports journalism platform, though it serves a broader audience and operates at much larger scale.
- Sports Illustrated: Sports Illustrated is a long-established mainstream sports media brand. It is comparable to Outsports as a publisher covering sports personalities and cultural stories intersecting sports, though it operates at much larger scale.
Direct peers
- PinkNews: PinkNews is a leading LGBTQ+ digital news outlet covering politics, culture, and entertainment with dedicated sports coverage. It is comparable to Outsports as a digital LGBTQ+ media brand targeting LGBTQ+ audiences with editorial content.
- LGBTQ Nation: LGBTQ Nation is a sibling Q.Digital property focused on LGBTQ+ news. It is comparable to Outsports as part of the same Q.Digital family of LGBTQ+ media brands with shared corporate infrastructure.
- Queerty: Queerty is a sibling brand under Q.Digital focused on LGBTQ+ entertainment and culture. It is comparable to Outsports as a Q.Digital-owned LGBTQ+ digital media property serving overlapping audiences.
- SB Nation: SB Nation is a network of sports blogs and digital sports media properties. It is comparable to Outsports as a digital-first sports news publisher organized around passionate fan communities.
- The Athletic: The Athletic is a subscription-based digital sports media outlet covering professional and amateur sports. It is comparable to Outsports as a reader-supported, niche-focused sports journalism brand, though serving the broader sports audience rather than the LGBTQ+ segment.
Others
- Outsports by Q.Digital: Q.Digital is the parent company that owns Outsports along with other LGBTQ+ media brands. It is the corporate parent providing infrastructure to Outsports and represents the broader corporate ecosystem around the brand.
- GayCities: GayCities is a sibling Q.Digital brand focused on LGBTQ+ travel. It is comparable to Outsports as part of the same Q.Digital family of LGBTQ+ media brands with shared audiences and corporate infrastructure.
Emerging players
- Autostraddle: Autostraddle is an independent LGBTQ+ digital media platform covering culture, identity, and lifestyle. It is comparable to Outsports as a digital-first LGBTQ+ media brand targeting LGBTQ+ readers, though focused on broader culture rather than sports.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Customer concentration
Outsports social profiles
Digital presenceOutsports financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Outsports leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Outsports funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Outsports 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 Outsports
What does Outsports do?
Outsports publishes LGBTQ+ sports journalism on its website, covering news, features, athlete profiles, coming-out stories, and opinion pieces focused on out LGBTQ+ athletes and queer sports issues. The site distributes content through a weekly newsletter and across social media platforms, and sustains its operations through a reader-supported membership program with tiered monthly and annual pricing while keeping all journalism free.
Is Outsports a public or private company?
Outsports is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Outsports founded?
Outsports was founded in 1999. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Outsports based?
Outsports is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Outsports make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are one-Time Contributions.
Who are Outsports's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated. Direct peers are PinkNews, LGBTQ Nation, Queerty, SB Nation and The Athletic. Others are Outsports by Q.Digital and GayCities. Autostraddle is listed as an emerging player.
Does Outsports have an API?
No public API is recorded for Outsports.