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The Athletic keeps growing .......

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Fran Curci, Feb 3, 2018.

Page 43 of 176
  1. Deskgrunt50

    Deskgrunt50 Well-Known Member

    If it goes five years and is sold or goes public, that seems like it would be a successful venture.
     
    Deskgrunt50, Jun 7, 2018
    #505
  2. Reddy235

    Reddy235 Member

    And if my aunt had balls, she’d be my uncle
     
    Reddy235, Jun 8, 2018
    #506
  3. Deskgrunt50

    Deskgrunt50 Well-Known Member

    For a person who says they aren’t rooting for The Athletic to fail, you sure root for The Athletic to fail a lot.

    You clearly have a personal axe to grind.
     
    Deskgrunt50, Jun 8, 2018
    #507
    studthug12, PaperClip529, wicked and 1 other person like this.
  4. Ice9

    Ice9 Active Member

    FWIW, not sure what the context is on this but I found this interesting as it relates to Reddy's earlier comments about MLS fans talking a big game

     
    Ice9, Jun 8, 2018
    #508
  5. Double Down

    Double Down Well-Known Member

    Double Down, Jun 11, 2018
    #509
    lcjjdnh likes this.
  6. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    Yes, it is relevant. More than some people here might realize. It's also a tale of venture capital over the last decade -- which speaks to ridiculous valuations and silly amounts of money getting tossed around, not necessarily whether the businesses themselves are viable.

    One thing to note, though, The Athletic is tiny in terms of the money it has raised, compared to what Vice Media was able to raise (a lot of it for Viceland -- the TV channel). Vice Media has raised somewhere around $1.5 billion (with a b). The Athletic has raised about $30 million, I believe. The Athletic's capital raises are coming from relatively small vc investors, by and large. Vice has taken money from some very big investors, including Disney, the Murdochs and TPG. And yes, supposedly there some very antsy investors, rethinking the valuation they handed money over at.
     
    The Big Ragu, Jun 11, 2018
    #510
  7. dirtybird

    dirtybird Well-Known Member

    Lemme guess, if they reported it like the Ringer did, you'd be on them for getting it wrong.

    It does raise the question, are "scoops" profitable? Especially the range of micro-scoops that Woj gets? The recruiting services have found a way to leverage decent inside info for subscribers, but that's more small innuendo stuff (this guy has impressed coaches behind the scenes, this four-star is trending toward Big State U)

    I think the issue for a place like this, and for most of these ventures is working from the top down instead of the bottom up. Instead of starting small, building what you can handle and growing from there, they rush out into trying to spend like a 1990s newspaper. Staffers upon staffers, lots of travel, and then it becomes unsustainable.
     
    dirtybird, Jun 11, 2018
    #511
  8. Songbird

    Songbird Well-Known Member

    I don't know ... whatever happened to mid-range jumpers in the NBA?
     
    Songbird, Jun 11, 2018
    #512
  9. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Very good question re: scoops. To me, scoops are a Twitter business now. There's no money in 'em, but ... exposure! So-and-so had it first, says so right there on the ESPN ticker.
     
    playthrough, Jun 11, 2018
    #513
  10. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    I don't know that all scoops are equal. There is a huge difference between a story nobody had and that nobody was going to have without getting it. ... and being the first on something that is going to be announced or revealed soon anyhow.

    Someone bought up the Bryan Colangelo story (to try to criticize The Athletic) and referenced the Ringer story that broke the whole twitter thing, as well as Woj / ESPN being first on Colangelo stepping down. . ... i.e. scoops The Athletic didn't have.

    I make a distinction between those two. The Ringer story was some really good reporting. They broke something. We'd still be sitting here clueless about the burner twitter accounts if they hadn't gotten that story.

    The story about Colangelo stepping down? I mean, of course you try to get it out there first. ... but everyone is going to be reporting it anyhow when it happens, and in the dustbin of journalism bragging rights history, are people really putting much stock in the fact that you had it an hour or a few hours before the next guy?
     
    The Big Ragu, Jun 12, 2018
    #514
    wicked likes this.
  11. LanceyHoward

    LanceyHoward Well-Known Member

    The Athletic needs to beef up its staffing. In Denver they seem to have two reporters, staffing the Broncos and Nuggets. They are not running Rocky stories. I looked at the Detroit site and they did not seem to have a Tigers reporter.
     
    LanceyHoward, Jun 12, 2018
    #515
  12. Fran Curci

    Fran Curci Well-Known Member

    Seems reasonable to think it will still take more time for The Athletic to staff up. As it is, it seems like there's a hiring announcement every day.
     
    Fran Curci, Jun 12, 2018
    #516
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