If you’re a sports fan and also happen to subscribe to Apple News+, today is a good day! However, today is also a weird day for anyone who knows that The Athletic is owned by The New York Times. It’s complicated.
Today, Apple announced in a press release that The Athletic — owned by The New York Times — has joined Apple News Plus, providing sports fans with one of the most popular sports journalism websites in the world. Now, instead of subscribing to The Athletic directly, fans can get access to the publication as part of their Apple News+ or Apple One Premier subscription.
Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services, seems to be behind the addition. Cue is a huge sports fan and has really helped drive sports content and deals through Apple over the years, so it’s no surprise to see him say he is a “devoted reader” of the publication.
“Like so many lifelong sports fans, I am a devoted reader of The Athletic and their fantastic sports reporting and local coverage. We’re so proud to now bring sports fans The Athletic in Apple News+ — which millions of News+ subscribers are going to love.”
David Perpich, publisher of The Athletic, said in a statement that the publication is “thrilled” to “introduce even more readers to the best-in-class journalism that only The Athletic can produce.”
“The Athletic is home to award-winning, deeply reported coverage of teams, leagues, and players for devoted fans around the world. We provide subscribers with every sports story that matters, brought to life by the most talented newsroom in the business. We’re thrilled to work with Apple News to introduce even more readers to the best-in-class journalism that only The Athletic can produce.”
The company says that The Athletic is made up of a newsroom of more than 450 full-time writers, editors, and producers covering the English Premier League, NFL, NBA, WNBA, NHL, MLS, PGA, National Women’s Soccer League, NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, NCAA men’s college basketball, NCAA women’s college basketball, LaLiga, UEFA Champions League, and more. It will be available to Apple News+ subscribers in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and Australia.
Apple News+ is available for $12.99 per month as a standalone service and is also included in Apple One Premier — Apple’s subscription bundle service — for $37.95 per month. Apple One Premier includes all of Apple’s subscription services, including Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, Apple Arcade, and iCloud+.
Oh, and The Athletic isn’t the only publication coming to Apple News. Almost as a footnote, Apple announced that Wirecutter (also owned by The New York Times) is also coming to the Apple News app. The company says that its coverage will start appearing on the app “early next year.”
One thing to note about The Athletic coming to Apple News Plus and Wirecutter coming to Apple News is that it does not mean that its owner, The New York Times, is returning to the platform. In 2020, The New York Times announced it was leaving Apple News Plus and the Apple News app altogether. There is still no word if the company plans to return to the app in any way. Perhaps experimenting with The Athletic is a way to test the waters again? We’ll see.
