The New York Times is closing its sports department and will instead rely on coverage from The Athletic, a website it purchased for $550 million last year.
According to The New York Times, the decision affects more than 35 personnel in the sports department. Journalists on the sports desk will be reassigned to other positions within the newsroom, with no layoffs anticipated.
“Though we recognise that this decision will disappoint some, we believe it is the right one for readers and will allow us to maximise the respective strengths of The Times’ and The Athletic’s newsrooms,” New York Times Co. Chairman A.G. Sulzberger and CEO Meredith Kopit Levien wrote in a letter to staff on Monday. According to the changes, sports coverage will be extended.
“Under our plan,” they said, “the digital homepage, newsletters, social feeds, sports landing page, and print section will draw from even more of the approximately 150 stories The Athletic produces each day chronicling leagues, teams, and players across the United States and the globe.”
The New York Times is closing its sports department and will instead rely on coverage from The Athletic, a website it purchased for $550 million last year.
The New York Times sports writers have won multiple Pulitzer Prizes over the years, notably Arthur Daley in 1956 for his column “Sports of the Times.” Walter Wellesley (Red) Smith provided commentary in 1976, and Dave Anderson provided commentary in 1981.
The New York Times Co. announced early last year that it would acquire The Athletic as part of a drive to grow its audience of paying subscribers at a time when the newspaper print ad business is declining.
Unlike many local news agencies, the company earned millions of subscribers during Donald Trump’s administration and the COVID-19 outbreak. However, it has been actively broadening its coverage with lifestyle advice, games, and recipes to help offset a downturn from the 2020 political news traffic spike.
Following more than two years of negotiations, including a 24-hour walkout, the Times negotiated a new labor agreement with its newsroom union in May. Salary increases, an agreement on hybrid work, and other advantages were included in the pact.
SOURCE -(AP)
