The Athletic introduces ads across website and app

In brief

Sports news publication The Athletic has launched ads across its website and mobile app, publisher David Perpich has announced.

Perpich, who also works as publisher for product review website Wirecutter, added that the integration of advertising will not have any impact on the independent nature of The Athletic‘s journalism.

“The introduction of high-quality advertising should feel seamless and will allow us to invest further in this world-class sports journalism,” wrote Perpich. “And we’ve been deliberate about creating a premium and relevant advertising experience for our subscribers.”

The Athletic was purchased by The New York Times Company in January of this year for $550m, and has since lost its parent company money. The brand launched as an ad-free subscription service in 2016 and expanded to the UK in 2019 and Australia in 2021.

Athletic subscribers did not appear to take the news well, with some commenters of Perpich’s post accusing the company of misleading its paid subscribers and lamenting “being sold to advertising companies”.