The Athletic is owned by The New York Times (the United States, NYSE: NYT), which acquired the brand on 1 February 2022 for $550 million.[1][2] The Athletic was founded in 2016 in the United States and was independent until 2022.
The Athletic covers sport by subscription with no advertising, hiring beat writers from local newspapers across America and Britain. The New York Times acquired it in 2022 for $550 million in cash. It hired many of those writers as local newspapers cut sports desks, and it reached profitability in 2024 after several years of heavy investment by its owner.
The New York Times Company acquired The Athletic Media Company, a subscription sports site covering clubs and teams in the United States and abroad, for an all-cash price of $550.0 million funded from cash on hand. It was large enough to change how the company reports itself: from the first quarter of 2022 the Times has had two reportable segments, The New York Times Group and The Athletic.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of The Athletic?
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The parent company of The Athletic is The New York Times, a publicly listed company headquartered in the United States.
Is The Athletic American?
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Yes. The Athletic originated in the United States in 2016 and its owner, The New York Times, is also headquartered in the United States.
When did The New York Times buy The Athletic?
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The New York Times completed its acquisition of The Athletic on 1 February 2022. The deal was valued at $550 million.
Who owned The Athletic before The New York Times?
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The Athletic was an independent company from its founding in 2016 until The New York Times acquired it in 2022.
Is The Athletic still owned by The New York Times?
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Yes. As of 16 September 2026, The Athletic is still owned by The New York Times. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (2) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.