• Loading stock data...
Sunday, June 22, 2025

UK Hiring Spree for The Athletic Creating Massive Industry Changes

*This piece first appeared in the Front Office Sports Newsletter. Subscribe today and get the news before anyone else.

It was not too long ago that the New York Times ran an article with the headline of “Why The Athletic Wants to Pillage Newspapers”.

Fresh off a new funding round and plans to hire at least 55 people in the UK according to Digiday, The Athletic has created what some are calling a “journalist transfer window.”

Publications are having “crisis” meetings…

According to BuzzFeed News reporter Mark Di Stefano, the hiring being done by The Athletic has left some publications to question how they will approach their soccer coverage going forward.  

One of the publications, the Times, has had multiple “crisis meetings” in recent weeks about the future of its football coverage.

Wine and dine…

According to Di Stefano, some of the biggest names in sports writing in the UK have been courted by the publication like a team would court an NBA free agent.

Over the course of the last few months, one of the Athletic’s cofounders set up shop at a lavish London hotel and met one by one with soccer reporters.

The pitch? How they intend to “disrupt” the soccer journalism market.

Rising tides lift all boats…

It’s not all doom and gloom for other publications. 

According to people who spoke with Di Stefano, the moves being made by the upstart subscription media company have caused other publications to allocate more resources to their staff. 

“The whole thing, it has set off a bomb. Not just that there’s now 50 new jobs, but newsroom managers are trying to protect their teams. Reporters and editors are going to management to ask for more resources … and they’re giving them.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

exclusive

Lakers Reporter Dan Woike Leaves LA Times for The Athletic

Woike had been at the L.A. Times for eight years.
Jun 16, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) is introduced before the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers in game five of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center.

NBA Taking Cues From NBA Twitter in Restoring Finals Pageantry

The NBA and ESPN/ABC made several changes on the fly.
John Fisher

A’s Owner John Fisher Eyes MLS Exit Ahead of Billion-Dollar Vegas Project

The Earthquakes owner said he had hired a bank for a sale.

Featured Today

Mar 15, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) dribbles the ball upcourt against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at Dickies Arena

NIL Is Shrinking the Pool of NBA Draft Entrants

Agents are now advising many players to stay in school.
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter on the red carpet before the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field
June 21, 2025

‘More Is More’: The Elite Luxury Jewelers Decking Out Athletes

Meet the elite group of luxury designers crafting the biggest statement pieces.
Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.
June 15, 2025

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.

Pacers Force Game 7, Could Spark Big Ratings Boost for NBA Finals

Game 7 could boost NBA Finals ratings after a slow start this year.
June 17, 2025

Streaming Tops Linear for First Time, Sports Still Key to TV’s Resilience

Streaming hits another critical milestone in an accelerating media transition.
June 17, 2025

Stanley Cup Final Delivers Drama but Struggles for Eyeballs in U.S.

U.S. viewership fell while Canadian audiences for the event rose slightly.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
June 17, 2025

Zaslav Takes Pay Cut, TNT Sports Future Unclear in WBD Shake-Up

The TNT Sports parent company retools its executive pay after shareholder pushback.
Tyrese Haliburton
June 16, 2025

NBA Finals Ratings Up Again in Game 4 but Still Down Overall

More than nine million people watched Games 3 and 4.
Thunder
June 16, 2025

NBA, ABC Air Finals Lineup Intros After Fan Complaints

ABC aired player intros for the first time in 12 years Monday. 
Anthony Slater
exclusive
June 13, 2025

Top Warriors Reporter Anthony Slater Leaving The Athletic for ESPN

Anthony Slater starts at ESPN later this summer.