[Football] The Athletic

Normal Rob · Aug 13, 2019

So, having stolen numerous journalists away from their previous employers, the American subscription based content provider has launched its foray into our beautiful game and it's currently probably hitting your social media feeds in one way or another in an attempt to lure you onto a free trial.

So, in short, has anyone signed up, and is it any good?

https://theathletic.co.uk/

Wozza · Aug 13, 2019

Fair amount of chat here: https://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?373820-Andy-Naylor-is-leaving

Hillian1 · Aug 13, 2019

I've had to unfollow Naylor

lizard · Aug 13, 2019

I used to feel ripped off reading Naylor's garbage for free, I sure as **** won't be paying for it!

vegster · Aug 13, 2019

Heard the adverts on Talkshite Sunday morning exhorting me to subscribe, if they puff anything on Talkshite I'm def going to ignore it.

luge · Aug 13, 2019

I have signed up. It's good and I will give it the year at 30 quid.

My reasoning is that the only good quality free writing is available on the Guardian and the Independent, and the latter is unreadable because of the adverts.

They have signed up some good journos, some of whom I know, so I am happy to support.

However over the next 12 months I would expect that there would be another competitor/ reaction from the outlets who have had their talent raided.

Ernest · Aug 13, 2019

I'll give it a year before it goes bust or makes a load of redundancies

Dorset Seagull · Aug 13, 2019

I've read a couple of reports on the Watford game, one from Naylor, and I was far from impressed.

Best Foot Forward · Aug 13, 2019

luge said:
I have signed up. It's good and I will give it the year at 30 quid.

My reasoning is that the only good quality free writing is available on the Guardian and the Independent, and the latter is unreadable because of the adverts.

They have signed up some good journos, some of whom I know, so I am happy to support.

However over the next 12 months I would expect that there would be another competitor/ reaction from the outlets who have had their talent raided.

I have done the same. 30 days free then £30 for a year. Articles I have read so far are in a different league to The Argus (thankfully!!)

DarrenFreemansPerm · Aug 13, 2019

Ernest said:
I'll give it a year before it goes bust or makes a load of redundancies

I believe The Athletic is primarily an American outlet, I’m quite sure it’s huge in the USA, I’d imagine it’s got plenty of financial clout.

Acker79 · Aug 13, 2019

Hillian1 said:
I've had to unfollow Naylor

I follow a few comedians, stage shows/films/studios, actors, etc. The amount of self promotion (from 'here's a trailer', through 'look at all this praise', to 'please check this out') from them is quite impressive. I have quite the tolerance for it. But for some reason, I had to unfollow Naylor. I don't know if there's some arbitrary line that the others manage to just stay this side of it, or what but I just couldn't suffer it with Naylor. I don't generally have anything against him the way some of our fans do, but it was just too much.

Da Man Clay · Aug 13, 2019

I won’t subsribe out of principal given the amount of spam from them. I’ve also had to unfollow Naylor given his absolute continual pushing of it.

Farehamseagull · Aug 13, 2019

Hillian1 said:
I've had to unfollow Naylor

I’m thinking about it. His continuing pushing of it is really starting to grate.

Though the most irritating thing is his sudden pleasant attitude to our fans after years of sniping and wind ups. I can’t forget that. Plus the retweeting of compliments is sickening.

I was quite pro this before it launched but having read a few pieces, I’m not going to bother spending money on it yet. If they recruit Barney Ronay or Jonathan Wilson I might change my mind but at the moment, no. Certainly Naylor doesn’t posess enough depth in his writing to persuade me.

Nobby · Aug 13, 2019

Best Foot Forward said:
I have done the same. 30 days free then £30 for a year. Articles I have read so far are in a different league to The Argus (thankfully!!)

Every time I go to log in, it’s a free month then £60 a year?

£30. Ok. £60. Nah

Ernest · Aug 13, 2019

DarrenFreemansPerm said:
I believe The Athletic is primarily an American outlet, I’m quite sure it’s huge in the USA, I’d imagine it’s got plenty of financial clout.

USA different from here, once it's renewal time for the annual subscriptions will be the moment

Barham's tash · Aug 13, 2019

I’ve been vocally critical of Naylor in the past - the sniping and self importance angle specifically riled me...

But curiosity got the better of me so I signed up on the freebie plus half price for the year.

His content as you’d expect is somewhat different and more engaging with less hyperbole and smugness.

As others have said his fan engagement is much more polite - can’t piss off paying subscribers I expect is the mission statement - but it remains to be seen if that lasts.

There’s some genuinely interesting articles from other journalists I already follow - Amy Lawrence for example who is excellent - and certain aspects of the app are good like aggregating people who’s content you want to read in a feed etc whilst not groundbreaking is certainly welcoming considering it’s ad free.

There was an interesting article from Benitez this morning which was his honest leaving note to Newcastle fans and if they can snare more of those sorts of right of reply type articles then it might change the culture of the sport.

What I do know is they’re going to challenge the status quo of both print (ha ha) and online free content writers/editorial.

Thumbs up from me.

BUTTERBALL · Aug 13, 2019

I've signed up for a year, so far so good a lot of well written articles without any sensationalism and very easy on the eye. I'll determine whether it's value or not in 12 months but it's a cheap punt at £30.

Tom Hark Preston Park · Aug 13, 2019

Ernest said:
I'll give it a year before it goes bust or makes a load of redundancies

This. Rightly or wrongly, I'm pretty sure that most of us nowadays expect to have access to good quality stuff for free apropos the Guardian business model. Very very difficult to make a case for a subscription-based business model for sports coverage when there's plenty of decent free coverage available elsewhere. Most of today's sports coverage, irrespective of quality, is tomorrow's chip paper anyway :shrug:

Gwylan · Aug 13, 2019

I see The Telegraph has launched an annual sports subscription for £20. I think that's a decent idea, I wonder if The Times will follow suit,

What would be interesting would be if someone launched a sports aggregation site so that £15 a year gets you cricket articles from the Times, Telegraph, Guardian (which will surely go behind a paywall soon) etc. That's something I may be interested in subscribing to

trueblue · Aug 13, 2019

Still enjoying it. Some good articles. The constant promotion on Twitter is starting to grate, but I suppose they need to.

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