How to Cancel The Athletic / NY Times in 2026 (Beat the Price Hike)

Updated February 2026 • 7 min read

The Athletic was $1/month for years as a loss leader. Now it's $9.99/month ($120/year) after the NY Times acquisition. The quality is still good, but $120/year for sports articles? Free alternatives have gotten much better. Here's how to cancel — or negotiate a lower rate.

🎯 Try the Retention Discount First

Before canceling, start the cancellation process. The Athletic/NYT almost always offers a retention deal:

Common offer: $2-4/month for 6-12 months (60-80% off)
Best strategy: Cancel → wait for win-back email (usually 1-2 weeks) → get even better deal
Student rate: Often 50%+ off with valid .edu email

Pricing

The Athletic standalone: $9.99/month or $71.99/year
NY Times Basic (news only): $4/month intro → $17/month
NY Times All Access: $10/month intro → $25/month (includes Athletic, Cooking, Games, Wirecutter)

How to Cancel The Athletic

Direct Subscription

Go to theathletic.com → sign in
Account Settings → Subscription
Click Cancel Subscription
Navigate the retention offers (take one if the price is right!)

If Part of NY Times Bundle

Go to nytimes.com/subscription
Click Manage Subscription → Cancel
This cancels the entire bundle (Athletic + News + Cooking + Games)

Apple / Google Play

If subscribed through the app store: cancel through your device's subscription settings (Settings → Subscriptions).

Free Sports Coverage Alternatives

ESPN.com — Free articles, scores, analysis. ESPN+ ($10.99/month) for deep coverage.
Reddit — r/nba, r/nfl, r/soccer — real-time discussion, highlights, insider takes. Free forever.
Team-specific sites — SBNation network, fan blogs. Often better local coverage than The Athletic.
YouTube — Highlights, analysis shows, press conferences. All free.
Podcasts — Every sport has dozens of free podcasts. Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.
Library access — Many libraries offer free digital access to newspapers including NYT.

💡 The Library Card Trick

Many public libraries provide free digital access to the NY Times through their website. Get a library card (free, takes 5 minutes online), then access nytimes.com for free. This includes The Athletic content. Check your local library's digital resources page.

🔍 What's Your Total Content Spend?

Athletic + Netflix + Spotify + news subscriptions = $50-100+/month on content. Upload your bank statement to JustCancel and see the total. You might be paying for 8+ content services without realizing it.

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Quick Cancel Guide: Nytimes Athletic

Direct cancel link + step-by-step instructions