History of The Athletic in Timeline

The Athletic is a subscription-based sports journalism entity, now part of The New York Times, delivering national and local sports coverage across 47 North American cities and the United Kingdom. It specializes in long-form journalism, original reporting, and detailed analysis of major professional and college sports. The Athletic aims to serve both local and non-local sports fans with in-depth coverage, effectively targeting audiences underserved by traditional local newspapers.

January 2016: The Athletic Launched

In January 2016, The Athletic was launched by Alex Mather and Adam Hansmann as an independent subscription-based online sports magazine.

October 2016: The Athletic Expands to Toronto

In October 2016, The Athletic expanded to Toronto, focusing on Maple Leafs, Raptors, and Blue Jays coverage, and hired James Mirtle as editor-in-chief.

2016: Initial Report of Misconduct Against Paul Riley

In 2016, allegations of misconduct against Paul Riley were initially reported to Portland Thorns FC, contributing to the decision not to renew his contract.

Jan 2017: Courtside Ventures Provides Seed Funding

In Jan 2017, Courtside Ventures provided $2.3 million in seed funding for The Athletic.

March 2017: The Athletic Launches in Cleveland

In March 2017, The Athletic launched in Cleveland with Jason Lloyd as editor-in-chief.

June 2017: The Athletic Expands to Detroit

In June 2017, The Athletic continued its city expansion to Detroit, hiring Craig Custance from ESPN as editor-in-chief.

July 2017: The Athletic Raises Series A Funding

In July 2017, The Athletic raised another $5.4 million in Series A funding also led by Courtside Ventures.

August 2017: The Athletic Expands to San Francisco and Adds National Coverage

In August 2017, The Athletic launched in the San Francisco area with Tim Kawakami and Marcus Thompson, and added national coverage with writers like Ken Rosenthal, Seth Davis, and Stewart Mandel, who launched "The All-American" college football section.

September 2017: The Athletic Expands to Multiple Cities

In September 2017, The Athletic expanded into Philadelphia, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and the rest of Canada, bringing local coverage to 15 US and Canadian pro sports markets with a focus on underserved hockey fans.

February 2018: The Athletic Announces Further Expansion

In February 2018, The Athletic announced expansion into New York, Dallas, and Cincinnati, and launched baseball-only coverage in Houston, Los Angeles, San Diego, Arizona, and Kansas City, while also adding Jayson Stark, Jim Bowden, Eno Sarris, and Emma Span.

March 2018: The Athletic Announces Series B Funding

In March 2018, The Athletic announced a $20 million Series B funding round led by Evolution Media, to be invested in expansion and increasing the writing staff.

April 2018: The Athletic Announces Full Coverage in Denver and Boston

In April 2018, The Athletic announced full coverage in Denver and Boston, hiring reporters from The Denver Post and various Boston media outlets, while also expanding college football coverage.

May 2018: The Athletic Announces Coverage of Soccer

In May 2018, The Athletic announced its expansion into coverage of both domestic and international soccer.

June 2018: The Athletic Increases Coverage in Los Angeles and Expands into Buffalo

In June 2018, The Athletic increased coverage in Los Angeles and expanded into Buffalo, New York, by hiring several reporters from The Buffalo News.

July 2018: The Athletic Expands into Atlanta, Baltimore, and Wisconsin

In July 2018, The Athletic continued market expansion with the addition of Atlanta with David O'Brien and Jeff Schultz, Baltimore, and Wisconsin, while also adding 19 college football writers.

August 2018: The Athletic Launches Fantasy Sports Coverage

In August 2018, The Athletic launched Fantasy Sports coverage and continued expansion across US markets including Washington, D.C., Carolina, Nashville, Indiana, Miami, and New Orleans, while also expanding NBA reporting with Shams Charania and NFL coverage with Jay Glazer.

September 2018: The Athletic Completes Local Coverage Expansion to all NHL and NFL Teams

In September 2018, The Athletic completed local coverage expansion to all NHL and NFL teams after adding writers in Jacksonville, Houston, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Las Vegas.

October 2018: Memphis Added as 47th Local Market

In October 2018, Memphis was added as the 47th local market covered by The Athletic, expanding coverage to all NBA teams.

October 2018: The Athletic Raises Series C Funding

In October 2018, The Athletic raised another $40 million in a Series C funding round, co-led by Founders Fund and Bedrock Capital. The money was planned for investment in audience, data, editorial teams, subscriptions, podcasts and video.

November 2018: The Athletic Hires Veteran TV Journalists

In November 2018, The Athletic signed three veteran TV journalists, including Armen Keteyian from 60 Minutes, to produce more video content.

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2018: Tim Cato Publishes Report on Mavericks Misconduct

In 2018, Athletic journalist Tim Cato published a report on allegations regarding workplace misconduct within the Dallas Mavericks organization, detailing financial misconduct and mental abuse.

May 2019: The Athletic Announces Expansion into Motorsports Coverage

In May 2019, The Athletic announced an expansion into motorsports coverage featuring veteran journalist Jeff Gluck, focusing on NASCAR and major events like the Indianapolis 500.

August 2019: The Athletic Subscriber Count

As of August 2019, The Athletic had 600,000 paying subscribers with an 80% retention rate year-over-year. The majority of subscribers follow sports teams in two or more cities.

August 2019: The Athletic Expands to the United Kingdom

In August 2019, The Athletic expanded to the United Kingdom, covering domestic and international football, led by Ed Malyon and Alex Kay-Jelski.

September 2020: The Athletic Reaches One Million Subscribers

In September 2020, The Athletic announced it had reached one million global subscribers, and also expanded into additional breaking news content formats.

March 2021: The Athletic Publishes Investigation on LSU Misconduct

In March 2021, The Athletic published an investigation by Brody Miller regarding sexual misconduct and abuse at Louisiana State University (LSU).

June 2021: Buyout Talks Between The Athletic and The New York Times End

Buyout talks between The Athletic and The New York Times ended in June 2021, though The New York Times would later successfully acquire the company.

September 2021: The Athletic Releases Report on Paul Riley Misconduct

In September 2021, The Athletic released a report detailing the gross sexual misconduct of association football coach Paul Riley in the NWSL, including allegations of abuse of players such as Sinead Farrelly and Meleana Shim. Paul Riley denied all allegations, but was fired shortly afterward.

November 2, 2021: Reports Emerge of Potential Bidders for The Athletic

On November 2, 2021, reports emerged that sports betting companies DraftKings and Flutter Entertainment, among other companies, were among some of the bidders for The Athletic.

January 2022: The New York Times Company Announces Acquisition of The Athletic

In January 2022, The New York Times Company announced that it would acquire The Athletic for $550 million, with the expectation that the transaction would close in the first quarter of 2022. Alex Mather and Adam Hansmann were to continue leading the operation independently.

2022: The Athletic's Coverage in 2022

As of 2022, The Athletic provided local coverage in 47 cities and regions of North America, as well as coverage in the United Kingdom, including the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL teams.

2022: The New York Times Company Acquires The Athletic

In 2022, The New York Times Company acquired The Athletic for $550 million, initially operating it as a semi-independent entity under the direction of Alex Mather and Adam Hansmann.

June 2023: The Athletic Undergoes Reorganization

In June 2023, The Athletic underwent a reorganization, cutting 4% of its staff, reassigning 20 journalists, and discontinuing team-specific beat reporters.

July 2023: The Athletic Replaces The New York Times Sports Department

In July 2023, The New York Times dissolved its existing sports department and began operating The Athletic as its replacement under new management, laying off or reassigning its existing sports staff.

April 2024: Laura Williamson Announced as Editor-in-Chief for UK and Europe

In April 2024, Laura Williamson was announced as the editor-in-chief for UK and Europe at The Athletic, joining writers such as Michael Cox, Oliver Kay, David Ornstein and Daniel Taylor.