How to Lower Your The Athletic Costs
2026 Cost Reduction Guide
Current Pricing
The Athletic costs $13.99 per month as of February 2026.
The Athletic frequently offers discounts in the cancellation flow. Promotional offers appear when you attempt to cancel.
Discounts appear automatically during the cancellation flow. No need to call or chat.
Before you pay — do you already have The Athletic?
The Athletic is included free (or heavily discounted) with these plans. Check if you're double-paying:
NYT All Access Bundle — includes Full Athletic access
Included with NYT All Access subscription ($25/mo standard, often $6/mo promotional rate for first 6 months). Also includes NYT News, Games, Cooking, and Wirecutter.
What Happens When You Cancel The Athletic
How to cancel
Account → Manage Subscription → Cancel
Steps (2 screens)
- 1Go to theathletic.com/account
- 2Click 'Manage Subscription'
- 3Click 'Cancel Subscription'
- 4Confirm cancellation
What they'll try to keep you
In-flow discount offer?
❌ No
Win-back email after?
✅ Yes
Access after cancel
Until end of billing period
Your data
Account and preferences saved
The Athletic (now part of NYT) frequently sends 70-80% off win-back offers. Cancel and wait for the email if you want to pay less.
The Athletic's cancellation flow offers aggressive retention discounts — users report 50% off for 6-12 months, and some get as low as $1/month after cancelling and waiting for win-back emails. At $9.99/month standalone ($119.88/year), The Athletic is now owned by The New York Times, and the NYT All Access bundle at its frequent promotional rate ($6/month) actually includes The Athletic plus News, Games, Cooking, and Wirecutter — often cheaper than standalone Athletic. Switch to annual billing ($5.99/mo) for an immediate 40% discount.
Quick Wins
The Athletic Subscription
Sports news and journalism.
How to Pay Less for The Athletic
Save up to $9.99/month with these proven strategies
Retention Offers (2)
In-flow discount when you attempt to cancel. The Athletic shows a multi-step retention flow highlighting what you'll lose, then offers a discounted rate to stay.
50% off for 6-12 months ($2.99-3.99/mo)
Show Script →
Log into theathletic.com → Account Settings → Manage Subscription → Cancel. Select 'Too expensive' as your reason. The retention flow will present a discounted offer before final cancellation.
The Athletic aggressively retains subscribers. The 'Keep subscription' button is styled more prominently (red) while the cancel option is a smaller, greyed-out text link. Selecting 'Too expensive' as your cancellation reason typically triggers the best discount offer.
Win-back email after cancellation with discounted annual rate
~$50/year (vs standard $71.88-$155.88/year)
Show Script →
Complete cancellation fully. Wait 7-14 days. The Athletic/NYT will send promotional re-subscription emails with discounted annual pricing.
Win-back offers are typically more aggressive than in-flow offers. Some users report being offered $1/month for 6 months.
Hidden Discounts (3)
Annual billing saves 40% vs monthly ($71.88/year vs $119.88/year)
All subscribers
Apply nowNYT All Access bundle at promotional rate includes The Athletic. Often $1.50/week ($6/month) for first 6 months — cheaper than The Athletic standalone.
New NYT subscribers
Apply nowStudent discount available through The Athletic or NYT education programs
Students with valid .edu email
Apply nowPlan Downgrade Opportunity
Switch to annual billing ($5.99/mo vs $9.99/mo) for immediate 40% savings. If you also read NYT, the All Access bundle at promotional pricing ($6/month) includes The Athletic plus News, Games, and Cooking — better value than standalone.
- Full access to The Athletic content
- Team-specific coverage and beat writers
- Podcasts and live game coverage
- Same full access as monthly
- 40% savings vs monthly billing
Churn & Return Strategy
Cancel now, wait 14 days, and get a win-back offer:
50-75% off annual subscription, sometimes as low as $1/month for 6 months
Delivered via email
The Athletic preserves your saved teams, followed writers, and reading history indefinitely after cancellation. Since NYT acquired The Athletic in 2022, win-back offers may come from either The Athletic or NYT marketing.
Free Alternatives (3)
ESPN Free Content
Extensive free sports coverage including scores, news, analysis, and some premium articles
Yahoo Sports + Bleacher Report
Combined free coverage from two major sports platforms. Yahoo for stats and scores, B/R for analysis and highlights.
Team Subreddits + Local Beat Writers on Twitter/X
Most team-specific subreddits aggregate breaking news, analysis, and rumors for free. Follow local beat writers directly on social media for real-time updates.
Best Strategy:
Switch to annual billing (saves 40%), or check if the NYT All Access promotional rate ($6/mo) is cheaper than standalone Athletic — it often is, and you get News + Games + Cooking too.
Do I actually need this news subscription?
Use this framework to evaluate whether The Athletic is worth keeping.
Reading 10+ articles per week from this source
Keep it — you're an active reader getting real value. But never pay full price — cancel and wait for a retention offer or win-back email.
Reading 2–5 articles per week
Check if your local library offers free digital access (many partner with NYT, WSJ, etc). Apple News+ ($12.99) bundles hundreds of publications.
Mostly reading headlines or sharing links
You don't need a subscription for that. Most headlines are free, and incognito/private browsing often bypasses soft paywalls.
Subscribed to 3+ news publications
Pick your top one and cancel the rest. Consider Apple News+ as a bundle alternative. Rotate subscriptions quarterly to different publications.
The Athletic vs Alternatives — Feature Comparison
Sports News
| Feature | the_athletic | espn_plus | sports_illustrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $9.99/mo (standalone) | $11.99/mo | Free (ad-supported) |
| Annual Price | $71.88/yr ($5.99/mo) | $109.99/yr | Free |
| Content Type | In-depth analysis, beat writers, team coverage | Live events, original shows, some articles | General sports journalism, free articles |
| Local Team Coverage | Dedicated beat writers for 200+ teams | Limited local coverage | Minimal |
| Live Sports Included | No live events | MLS, NHL, UFC, college sports | No |
| Bundle Option | NYT All Access ($6/mo promo) includes Athletic + News + Games + Cooking | Disney Bundle ($16.99/mo) with Disney+ and Hulu | N/A — free |
| Best For | Deep team-specific analysis and reporting | Live sports streaming | Casual sports news readers |
Verdict: The Athletic is the best for in-depth sports analysis and team-specific beat reporting. ESPN+ is better if you want live sports streaming. Best deal: get The Athletic through the NYT All Access bundle at promotional pricing — often cheaper than standalone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Athletic worth $9.99/month in 2026?
At $9.99/month (not $13.99 as sometimes listed), The Athletic is worth it if you follow multiple sports teams and read daily. It offers the deepest local beat reporting in sports journalism — coverage of specific teams that ESPN and free outlets don't match. If you read fewer than 10 articles/month, switch to the annual plan ($5.99/mo billed yearly) or cancel and wait for a win-back offer. The Athletic frequently emails lapsed subscribers with $1/mo reactivation deals within 30 days.
How can I get The Athletic cheaper or free?
Several proven strategies: (1) Annual billing at $71.88/year ($5.99/mo) saves 40% vs monthly. (2) Cancel and wait — The Athletic sends aggressive win-back emails, often $1/mo for 6-12 months, with about 65% success rate. (3) The NYT All Access bundle ($25/mo, often $6/mo promotional for first 6 months) includes The Athletic plus NYT News, Games, Cooking, and Wirecutter. (4) Student discounts are available through select university partnerships. (5) During the cancellation flow itself, about 70% of users report receiving an immediate discount offer — always start the cancellation process before renewing at full price.
What are free alternatives to The Athletic for sports news?
For sports news specifically: ESPN (free articles and app) covers major leagues well but lacks The Athletic's local depth. Yahoo Sports is free with decent analysis. Team-specific subreddits and fan blogs provide passionate coverage. For live sports: ESPN+ ($11.99/mo) adds live events. The key difference is beat reporting — The Athletic's strength is dedicated reporters covering individual teams. If you only follow major national stories, free alternatives are sufficient. If you want insider reporting on your specific team's roster moves and locker room dynamics, The Athletic is harder to replace.
Does The Athletic offer a discount when you cancel?
Yes — The Athletic is one of the more aggressive retention services. During the cancellation flow, approximately 70% of subscribers report seeing an immediate discount offer (typically 40-60% off). If you complete cancellation without accepting, expect a win-back email within 2-4 weeks offering $1/month for 6-12 months (about 65% success rate for lapsed subscribers). Strategy: always initiate cancellation before your renewal date. If the in-flow offer isn't compelling enough, complete the cancellation and wait for the better email offer.
The Athletic vs ESPN+ — which is better value?
Different products. The Athletic ($9.99/mo or $5.99/mo annual) is a reading platform — in-depth articles, analysis, and beat reporting with no ads. ESPN+ ($11.99/mo) is primarily a streaming platform for live sports (UFC, some MLB/NHL/MLS games, 30 for 30 documentaries) with articles as a secondary feature. If you want to read about sports: The Athletic wins. If you want to watch live sports events: ESPN+ wins. For budget optimization, The Athletic's annual plan ($5.99/mo) paired with free ESPN articles covers most needs without paying for ESPN+.
How Much Are You Overpaying?
The Athletic is just one piece. Take the free 30-second quiz to see your total savings across all your subscriptions.
About The Athletic: Sports news and journalism.