Updated February 2026 • 4 min read
The Athletic costs $9.99/month (or $7.99/month annually at $95.88/year). Since NYT acquired it in 2022, it's also available as part of the NYT All Access bundle ($25/month). For ad-free sports journalism, it's genuinely good — but is it $100/year good?
💡 Discount hack: The Athletic is famous for aggressive retention offers. Start the cancellation process and you'll likely see: $1/month for 6 months, $2/month for a year, or 50% off. If you want to keep it, always cancel first to get the discount. Never pay full price.
The Athletic's strength is deep, ad-free, long-form sports journalism. If you follow 3+ teams across different sports and want insider analysis beyond hot takes, it's genuinely the best product. At the retention discount price ($1-2/month), it's a no-brainer. At full price ($10/month), it's hard to justify unless you read it daily.
If you already subscribe to the NYT, check if The Athletic is included in your plan. NYT All Access ($25/month) includes NYT, The Athletic, Wirecutter, Cooking, and Games. If you're paying for NYT + Athletic separately, the bundle saves money.
Bottom line: The Athletic is excellent sports journalism — but never pay full price. Start the cancellation process, accept the $1-2/month retention offer, and enjoy premium coverage for the price of a coffee. If they don't offer a discount, ESPN + Reddit + team podcasts cover 80% of what The Athletic offers for free.
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