The Athletic's Alex Mather on the Shutdown of Live Sports—the 'Challenge of a Lifetime'

The founder of the ad-free sports publication spoke at Adweek's Elevate: Publishing event

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Almost five years ago now, The Athletic launched with the goal of disrupting the world of sports coverage. At that point, fans and experts alike had watched legacy sports publications fall into the trap of chasing digital ad revenue to account for the loss of print subscriptions as consumer habits changed. But as the magazines grew thinner and the digital experience more cluttered, sports journalism itself—despite a committed fanbase—was at a crossroads.

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