The Athletic
by The New York Times Company · News & Magazines · Reading Platforms
Premium sports journalism covering every major league and team with in-depth analysis, insider reporting, and podcasts.
Quick Answer: The Athletic has a verified Real Score of 4.3/5 based on 22,250 verified reviews, compared to its App Store rating of 4.7/5. Highly recommended by verified users.
Real Score vs App Store Rating
App Store Rating
Includes unverified reviews
Verified Real Score
Based on 22,250 verified reviews
Gap Alert: The Athletic's App Store rating is 0.4 points higher than its verified Real Score. This suggests that some store reviews may be inflated by fake or incentivized ratings.
Pros & Cons
What Users Love
- Best sports journalism available
- Ad-free reading experience
- Team-specific beat reporters
- Excellent podcast network
Common Complaints
- Subscription required
- Not all sports equally covered
- Some articles are too short
- Price has increased
Verified Reviews (20)
Sports journalism done right
Every team has dedicated beat reporters producing deep, insightful coverage you cant find anywhere else. No hot takes, no clickbait, just quality sports journalism.
NYT bundle adds value
Getting The Athletic as part of the NYT all-access bundle is great value. Quality sports journalism alongside quality news journalism. Smart bundling.
No ads is beautiful
Reading sports content without ads between every paragraph is refreshing. The ad-free promise is kept and it makes a massive difference to the reading experience.
Podcast network is excellent
The Athletic podcasts for every team and league are consistently high quality. Expert analysis from beat reporters who actually know the teams they cover.
Price keeps going up
Was a great deal at launch pricing. The price increases make it harder to justify for casual sports fans. Still worth it for serious fans though.
Beat reporters make the difference
Having a dedicated reporter for MY team who knows every player, coach, and front office person personally produces insights no national reporter can match.
Draft and trade coverage is exceptional
During NFL draft, NBA trade deadline, and similar events, The Athletics real-time coverage with insider sources is unmatched. The place to be during sports events.
Some sports get less love
Football, basketball, and baseball coverage is incredible. Soccer, hockey, and smaller sports get less attention. Coverage distribution isnt fully balanced.
Community and comments
The comment sections under articles feature actual fans having intelligent discussions. No trolls, no flame wars. A sports community that respects discourse.
Replaced all other sports apps
I used to check ESPN, Bleacher Report, and team sites. Now I only need The Athletic. Everything I want in one place with better quality than all of them combined.
Long-form features are magazine quality
The feature stories and profiles are magazine-quality journalism. Deep dives into athlete stories, team histories, and sporting culture. Worth reading beyond game coverage.
Live game coverage works well
The live blogs during games with real-time analysis from beat reporters add value beyond just watching. Expert commentary synchronized with the action.
Wish it had video content
Theres minimal video content for a sports platform. Adding video analysis, highlights, and interviews would make the subscription even more valuable.
What ESPN used to be
The Athletic is what ESPN magazine and espn.com used to be before they pivoted to hot takes and engagement bait. Quality sports journalism found its new home.
Fantasy sports content is solid
The fantasy football and baseball content is data-driven and analytical. Better than most dedicated fantasy sites. Smart analysis for competitive fantasy players.
College sports coverage growing
With NIL and conference realignment, college sports coverage has become increasingly important. The Athletic is expanding this area nicely.
Offline reading for flights
Download articles for offline reading before a flight. Long sports features are perfect plane reading. Well-implemented offline functionality.
Worth every penny
I spend hours weekly reading The Athletic and every article feels like money well spent. The depth of coverage and quality of writing justify the subscription completely.
International football coverage
The Premier League and European football coverage is excellent. Dedicated correspondents in England, Spain, Germany covering leagues comprehensively.
Setting the standard
The Athletic has set a new standard for sports media. Subscriber-funded, ad-free, quality journalism. Others are trying to copy the model because it works.
Showing 1-20 of 12,847 reviews
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Last updated: April 2026