Alex Webb, Columnist

The Athletic Can Prove the Haters Wrong

The sports news site looks on track to break even soon, showing that readers will pay for targeted content.

September 7, 2019 at 5:00 AM UTC

Alex Webb is a correspondent for Bloomberg Quicktake. He previously covered the technology, telecoms and media industries in London, San Francisco and Munich.

Alex Mather, left, and Adam Hansmann, co-founders of the The Athletic, at their offices in San Francisco. — Alex Mather, left, and Adam Hansmann, co-founders of the The Athletic, at their offices in San Francisco.
Photographer: Andrew Burton/The New York Times/NYTNS

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What do you get if you combine $90 million of venture capital funding, 430 sports writers and more than just a splash of Silicon Valley bravura?

The answer might just be a model for how to make money in digital news. Subscription-based sports website The Athletic has encountered plenty of skepticism since its foundation three years ago by two veterans of fitness app Strava. But it continues to grow readership apace and attract investment and writers alike.