associated press sports editors

What associated press sports editors does

Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) is a U.S.-based professional membership organization founded on June 4, 1974, by 126 sports editors meeting at New York's City Squire Inn. APSE serves sports editors, sports journalists, and sports departments at newspapers, digital outlets, wire services, and sports media organizations, providing professional development, peer recognition, and industry standards support. The organization operates without a physical office (mailing address P.O. Box 699, Huntington, NY) and is governed by elected officers rotating through one-year terms.

APSE's core offerings include tiered membership subscriptions (Division A through D, plus Educators, Students, Writers Wing, Diversity Fellows, Alumni, and Associate categories), annual Summer and Winter conferences, regional meetings across four U.S. regions (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, West), and prestige awards including the Red Smith Award (since 1981), the Billie Jean King Award (since 2024, in partnership with the Billie Jean King Foundation and including a $5,000 grant), the Jack Berninger Award, and the APSE professional and student contests. The organization also runs the APSE Foundation's eight-month Leadership Fellowship program (14th class in 2025-26), a Diversity Pledge initiative, and a Sports Media Racial & Gender Report Card produced in partnership with the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida.

Revenue is generated primarily through membership dues (annual subscriptions tiered by member organization circulation size, ranging from $25 for students to $410 for associate members), conference sponsorship (a record $55,000 from 13 sponsors at the 2026 Summer Conference), and contest-related fees. The membership base grew 73% year-over-year to 325 paid members across approximately 200 primary news organizations as of June 2026, supported by 17 student chapters. APSE has no venture capital, private equity, or institutional investor ownership; the entity is a nonprofit owned and controlled by its member sports departments and editors, with the APSE Foundation operating as a related nonprofit entity.

Name

associated press sports editors

Legal name

Associated Press Sports Editors

Website

https://apsportseditors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Short description

APSE is a U.S.-based nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1974 that serves sports editors and sports journalists at newspapers, digital outlets, and sports media organizations through tiered membership dues, national and regional conferences, annual contests, and prestige awards including the Red Smith Award and Billie Jean King Award.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Public Relations Agencies (541820)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sports Media Relations & Rights Support Services (Press Ops, Rights Packaging Support) (MPAKAKAN)

Keywords

• Professional association
• Sports journalism membership
• Journalism awards programs
• Professional development conferences
• Editor networking services

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: APSE generates revenue through tiered membership dues based on the circulation size of member organizations. Divisions range from Division A (60,000+ circulation) at $360/year for first member to Division D (under 10,000) at $135/year. Additional member pricing and special categories exist for educators, students, writers, and diversity fellows.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

APSE is a professional membership organization that serves sports editors and sports journalists at news organizations through tiered annual dues, national and regional conferences, annual journalism contests, lifetime achievement and service awards, an 8-month Foundation Leadership Fellowship, scholarships, a jobs board, and ethics guidelines. Membership is acquired by application with pricing scaled to the circulation size of the member news organization.

Product overview

APSE (Associated Press Sports Editors) is a professional membership organization, not a software product company. Its offerings consist of awards programs (Red Smith Award, Billie Jean King Award, Jack Berninger Award), annual journalism contests, the APSE Student Contest, professional development fellowships, national and regional conferences, diversity initiatives, ethics guidelines, and a job board for members. The organization serves sports editors and sports journalists from news organizations across the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• APSE Summer Conference Annual national conference for APSE members and sports journalists featuring professional development sessions, networking opportunities, awards presentations (Red Smith Award, Billie Jean King Award, Jack Berninger Award), and workshops. Held each July.
• APSE Winter Conference Annual winter conference for APSE members focusing on contest planning, discussions, and convention preparation. 2027 edition scheduled for February 28 to March 4 at Southpoint in Las Vegas.
• APSE Professional Contest Annual national contest recognizing professional excellence in sports journalism across multiple categories and divisions, judged by APSE members. Nearly 200 entries annually with 17 finalists.
• APSE Student Contest Annual contest for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at colleges or universities, judged on portfolio submissions. 2026 winner: Ira Gorawara of UCLA.
• APSE Foundation Leadership Fellowship Eight-month professional development initiative designed to prepare sports journalists for leadership roles. Class XIV (2025-26) included 7 fellows. Funded by an annual silent auction.
• APSE Membership Tiered annual membership program for sports editors and news organizations, with dues scaled to the circulation size of the member newsroom. Membership categories include Division A through Division D, educators, students, writers wing, diversity fellows, alumni, and associates.
• Red Smith Award Premier lifetime achievement award in American sports journalism, presented annually to a journalist with an exceptional career. Presented at the Red Smith Luncheon during the Summer Conference.
• Billie Jean King Award for Excellence in Women's Sports Coverage Award for excellence in women's sports coverage, created in partnership with the Billie Jean King Foundation, including a $5,000 grant to the winner. Established February 2024.
• Jack Berninger Award Award for service to APSE, recognizing individuals who contribute significantly to the organization. 2026 recipient: George Solomon.
• Regional Meetings Program Annual regional meetings conducted in four regions (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, West) for professional development and regional business, with regional chairs responsible for planning and execution.
• Jobs & Internships Board Job posting platform connecting sports journalism professionals with employers, including diversity-focused listings.
• Sports Media Racial & Gender Report Card Annual report evaluating racial and gender hiring practices across major newspapers and sports media organizations, produced in partnership with the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida.
• Donn Walden Leadership Grant Grant for leadership development in sports journalism, specifically supporting editors from smaller newsrooms. Lyzz Stallings of York (Pa.) Daily Record named fourth winner.
• APSE Foundation Scholarships Four scholarships awarded annually to rising collegiate sports journalists, in the sixth year with at least two scholarships designated for diverse candidates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Membership grew from 188 to 325 paid members (73% increase)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• TKOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2026Presenting/platinum sponsor for the 2026 APSE Summer Conference. TKO Group Holdings operates WWE and UFC, representing major sports entertainment properties.
• USA Today NetworkcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 July 2026Gold sponsor and opening reception presenter for 2026 conference. Major news organization with many APSE member employees across its properties.
• NHLcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 July 2026Gold sponsor of 2026 Summer Conference. National Hockey League is a major professional sports league with significant sports media coverage.
• NASCARcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 July 2026Awards dinner sponsor for 2026 Summer Conference. Major motorsports organization with significant sports media coverage.
• The AthleticcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 July 2026Gold sponsor and career session sponsor for 2026 conference. Major sports media subscription service employing many sports editors.
• ESPNcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 July 2026Gold sponsor of 2026 Summer Conference. Major sports broadcasting and media company.
• The Boston GlobecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 July 2026Gold sponsor and Red Smith Luncheon presenter. Major newspaper and employer of award winner Dan Shaughnessy.
• MLSmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 July 2026Silver sponsor and awards dinner reception sponsor. Major League Soccer professional soccer league.
• MLBmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 July 2026Silver sponsor of 2026 Summer Conference. Major League Baseball professional baseball league.
• APSE FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2026Silver sponsor. The Foundation manages the Leadership Fellowship program, scholarships, and silent auction for professional development initiatives.
• The Seattle TimesmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 July 2026Silver sponsor of 2026 Summer Conference.
• Washington MysticsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 July 2026Silver sponsor. WNBA team hosted opening reception game vs Portland Fire at CareFirst Arena.
• Povich Center for Sports Journalism at University of MarylandminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 July 2026Bronze sponsor. Academic program at Merrill College of Journalism focused on sports journalism education.
• Billie Jean King FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2026Partnership for the Billie Jean King Award for Excellence in Women's Sports Coverage, which includes a $5,000 grant to the winner. Established in 2024.
• Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at University of Central FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership to produce the Sports Media Racial & Gender Report Card evaluating hiring practices at newspapers and websites for diversity and gender representation. Report published at APSE's request.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Society of Professional Journalists: SPJ is the largest U.S. journalism membership organization, providing ethics guidelines, professional development, awards, and advocacy. Like APSE, it serves practicing journalists through membership dues, contests, and conferences, and competes for the same professional development mindshare.
• Radio Television Digital News Association: RTDNA represents broadcast and digital news journalists, offering membership, training, awards (Edward R. Murrow Awards), and advocacy. It is a direct peer in serving professional journalists through membership-based services and journalism excellence awards.
• Online News Association: ONA supports digital journalism professionals through membership, the annual Online News Awards, and conferences. It is a direct peer in the professional journalist association space, with stronger emphasis on digital-first members but overlapping membership profiles.
• Investigative Reporters and Editors: IRE is a nonprofit membership organization for investigative journalists, providing training, conferences, awards (IRE Awards), and resources. Comparable to APSE in operating model (membership, conferences, awards, training) and serving a specialized journalism segment.
• Poynter Institute: Poynter is a nonprofit journalism education and training organization offering seminars, online courses, and the Pulitzer Prize administration. It is a direct peer in journalism professional development and training, with slightly different delivery mechanism (courses vs. conferences).
• National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association: NSSA is a membership organization for sports broadcasters and writers, featuring a Hall of Fame, awards, and scholarships. It is the most directly comparable sports-journalism-specific peer to APSE, with overlapping mission and member base in sports media.
• The National Press Club: The National Press Club is a professional organization for journalists with a physical facility, programming, awards, and networking events. Comparable to APSE in providing conferences, awards, and networking infrastructure for working journalists.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Broadcasters: NAB is a large, established trade association representing broadcast and media companies rather than individual journalists. It is comparable in industry positioning (serving media organizations) but operates at a much larger scale and broader industry scope.
• International Association of Business Communicators: IABC is a global membership association for communication professionals, offering training, certification, and networking. It is a broader incumbent in the professional communications/membership organization space, with overlapping operational model but a wider, non-journalism-specific audience.

Emerging players

• Association of Women in Sports Media: AWSM is a smaller, mission-focused organization supporting women in sports journalism through mentorship, awards, and conferences. It is an emerging peer addressing a narrower constituency within the same sports journalism ecosystem that APSE serves more broadly.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/APSE_sportmedia
• Facebookfacebook.com/APSportsEditors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apse-associated-press-sports-editor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 associated press sports editors