The Athletic has seen multiple shifts in its strategy since being purchased by The New York Times early last year.
The latest: the subscription-based website is cutting back on local podcasts, as first noted by NiemanLab.
“The Athletic is not doing local podcasts anymore,” The Athletic’s Detroit Pistons beat writer James Edwards III said during the final episode of The Bun and Cardigan Show, which was posted on Sept. 6. “Don’t worry — I’m still covering the Pistons for The Athletic. This is strictly an audio thing.”
Edwards later added: “The company decided that they only want to do national podcasts on their feed.”
It’s unclear exactly how many of the company’s podcasts have been eliminated and which ones were produced by full-time employees or freelancers. NiemanLab noted that in addition to the Pistons, podcasts covering the Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics have all recently gone dark, as have podcasts covering multiple MLB and NHL teams.
As opposed to the written content on The Athletic, which is mostly behind a paywall, the company’s local podcasts have been ad-supported. The move to shift away from local podcasts likely indicates that many of them weren’t profitable — or at least not profitable enough — as publisher David Perpich has publicly stated that it’s the company’s goal to be in the black by 2025.
The elimination of several local podcasts further indicates the sports media company’s shift from local coverage to national coverage that’s been apparent since The New York Times purchased it for $550 million. While The Athletic had previously promised at least one devoted beat writer for every team it covers, that’s no longer the case, with the company having either laid off or reassigned several reporters as a part of its shift.
“The Athletic has generally viewed every league in a similar manner, with similar beats and offerings. But our growing body of research and our own understanding of the sports we cover compel a more nuanced approach,” read an internal memo to staffers following layoffs that affected approximately four percent of the staff this past June, per Ben Strauss of The Washington Post. “There is no perfect formula for determining which teams to cover, but we are committing dedicated beat reporters to the ones that most consistently produce stories that appeal to both large and news-hungry fan bases, as well as leaguewide audiences.”
At this point, The Athletic’s shift from local coverage to a more national focus is nothing new, especially with The New York Times replacing its own sports desk with The Athletic’s coverage earlier this year. Nevertheless, it’s interesting to see how that shift continues to affect its employees, consumers and product at large.
