The42

What The42 does

The42 is an Irish sports news publication operating as a brand of Journal Media Limited, founded in 2010 as TheScore and rebranded to The 42 in 2015. Headquartered at Latin Hall, Golden Lane, Dublin, the platform delivers free sports journalism across GAA, soccer (including the League of Ireland and Premier League), rugby, golf, horse racing, boxing, motorsport, athletics, NFL and NBA, supported by an optional premium subscription for ad-free reading and exclusive content. Native mobile apps exist for iOS and Android, and the publication extends into audio through four podcasts (The 42FM, Rugby Weekly Extra, The Football Family, and a GAA Weekly show) distributed globally via Acast.

The business model combines display, video and sponsored content advertising served through Google Ads, Meta platforms and TikTok audience targeting, alongside recurring monthly and annual subscription revenue processed via Stripe and Piano Software, plus editorial partnership revenue streams. Content is supported by advertiser funding that is clearly labelled, and brand partners fund content projects executed under independent editorial oversight. Marketing channels include the website, social media on X and Facebook, email newsletters via Mailchimp, and community engagement via moderated comments. The platform is part of Journal Media's broader portfolio alongside The Journal, The Journal FactCheck (IFCN-verified since 2017), and The Journal Investigates (launched 2024), and operates under the Press Council of Ireland's Code of Practice.

Technology infrastructure is conventional digital publishing: AWS cloud hosting, Google Analytics and Piano for monetisation and subscription management, Cloudflare for spam detection, and Acast for podcast distribution. The company is founder-owned by Eamonn and Brian Fallon (founders of Daft.ie), with no disclosed external investors or parent company, employing dozens of journalists across Journal Media's portfolio of publications. Since 2017, Reuters Digital News Institute has consistently named the parent network as one of the top two most-read online news sources in Ireland.

Name

The42

Legal name

Journal Media Limited

Website

https://the42.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The42 is an Irish sports news publication and brand of Journal Media Limited, delivering free and premium journalism across GAA, soccer, rugby, golf and horse racing via website, mobile apps and podcasts to Irish sports fans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Digital Media

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Digital Audio Broadcasts (Live Radio, Play-by-Play, Podcasts) (MPAKAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Streaming Platforms (MPACAAAE), Short-Form Video for News, Sports & Highlights Platforms (MPACAHAJ)

Keywords

• Irish sports news
• Sports journalism
• Digital media publishing
• Sports podcasts
• Online sports coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising: Primary revenue source from display advertising, video ads, and sponsored content. The site uses Google Ads for programmatic advertising, Meta advertising platforms, and TikTok audience targeting. Content supported by advertiser funding is clearly labelled as 'Sponsored', 'Brought to You By', or 'Supported By'.
2. Premium Subscriptions: Paid subscriptions provide access to premium content and an ad-free reading experience. Monthly and annual billing options available. Subscriptions can be managed through the website or app store accounts.
3. Editorial Partnerships: Content projects funded by brand partners where Journal Media produces content independently under editorial oversight. Brands select themes but do not approve content before publication.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The42 is an Irish sports news publication delivering digital sports journalism across GAA, soccer (Premier League and League of Ireland), rugby, golf, horse racing, boxing, motorsport, athletics, NFL, and NBA. It provides free editorial coverage through its website and mobile apps, with optional premium subscriptions offering ad-free reading and exclusive content, alongside multiple sports podcasts including The 42FM, Rugby Weekly Extra, The Football Family, and The 42 GAA Weekly.

Product overview

The42 is an Irish sports news publication owned by Journal Media Ltd, originally launched as TheScore in 2010 and rebranded to The 42 in 2015. The core offering is the The 42 (Core Website) providing free sports journalism across GAA, Soccer, Rugby, Golf, Horse Racing, Boxing, and other sports. Premium access is available through The 42 Paid Subscriptions. The publication also extends its content through multiple podcast sub-brands including The 42FM, Rugby Weekly Extra, The Football Family, and The 42 GAA Weekly, which deliver sports analysis in audio format. The platform positions itself as delivering quality journalism for passionate Irish sports fans through multimedia storytelling and analysis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The 42FM: Podcast: Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture
• Rugby Weekly Extra
• The Football Family

Products and services

• The 42 Core Website Irish sports news website covering GAA, soccer, rugby, golf, horse racing, boxing, motorsport, athletics, NFL, and NBA with free access to sports journalism.
• The 42 Mobile Apps Native iOS and Android applications delivering The 42 sports journalism and subscription management.
• The 42 Paid Subscriptions

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CoronaVirusFacts AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Contributes factchecks to the global CoronaVirusFacts Alliance effort launched in early 2020 during the Covid-19 Debunking Project.
• International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Since 2017, The Journal FactCheck has been the only verified Irish signatory of the IFCN and abides by their Code of Principles.
• GooglecoreTechnology or IntegrationGoogle provides advertising (Google Ads), audience analytics, notifications, cloud storage, and office software services. Google Analytics helps understand visitor engagement while Google Ads enables personalised advertising across Search, Display Network, and YouTube.
• Meta Platforms (Facebook, Instagram)coreTechnology or IntegrationMeta provides social media authentication and targeted marketing capabilities. The platform uses Meta Pixel and social plugins for audience tracking and advertising. Also a Facebook Third-Party Fact Checking partner.
• TikTokcoreTechnology or IntegrationData is provided to TikTok via audience uploads to create custom audiences and serve personalised advertisements on the TikTok platform.
• Ireland EDMO Hub (European Digital Media Observatory)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Journal FactCheck is the fact-checker partner for the Ireland EDMO hub, a collaboration between academic researchers and fact-checkers promoting scientific knowledge of online disinformation. EDMO is funded by a European Union programme but operates independently.
• Piano SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides subscription, payment, identity management and analytics services for content monetisation including subscriptions and one-off payments.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party payment processor handling subscription and payment transactions on behalf of Journal Media.
• Amazon AWScoreTechnology or IntegrationCloud computing services for website infrastructure and data storage.
• AcastcoreTechnology or IntegrationPodcast hosting and distribution platform for The 42FM, Rugby Weekly Extra, and The Football Family podcasts.
• Press Council of IrelandcoreOthersThe 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, operating within their Code of Practice.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Planet Sport: UK-based multi-vertical digital sports media and content business. Comparable in digital sports publishing and SEO-led content approach, though broader in geography and verticals.
• The Athletic: Subscription-led digital sports journalism company (now owned by The New York Times) covering leagues and teams in depth. Comparable in premium subscription model and sports-journalism focus, though at a much larger scale and primarily UK/US focused.

Direct peers

• SportsJOE: Irish digital sports media brand (also part of a wider Irish media portfolio) targeting the same Irish sports fan with news, analysis, and multimedia. Directly comparable in product, audience, and GTM (free + premium, social-led).
• Pundit Arena: Irish sports media site focused on opinion, analysis, and viral sports content. Comparable in digital-first sports publishing model and Irish audience focus.
• Balls.ie: Long-running Irish sports and culture publisher with strong social presence covering GAA, soccer, rugby, and more. Closely comparable in product format, content verticals, and target audience.

Broad incumbents

• GiveMeSport: Large UK-based digital sports news and video platform owned by the Daily Mail group, covering global sports at scale. Comparable in digital sports content and video/social distribution, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader geography.
• Irish Independent Sport: Sports section of Ireland's largest print newspaper, now digital-first, covering the same GAA/soccer/rugby verticals. Comparable in audience and content mix, but backed by a legacy print publisher.
• RTÉ Sport: National broadcaster's digital sports offering in Ireland, covering the same sports verticals with a mix of news, video, and live coverage. Comparable as the dominant sports media brand in the Irish market, though funded by public broadcasting model.

Others

• Daft.ie: Irish online property listings portal also founded by Eamonn and Brian Fallon. Comparable as a founder-affiliated Irish digital media business sharing the same founding team, governance, and likely back-office resources as The42's parent Journal Media.
• Acast: Global podcast hosting, distribution, and monetization platform. Comparable because The42 uses Acast to host and monetize The 42FM, Rugby Weekly Extra, and other podcasts, making Acast a key infrastructure peer in the audio side of the business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/the42_ie
• Facebookfacebook.com/the42.ie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The42