The Athletic on Monday launched advertising on its site and app, the next step in parent New York Times' ( NYSE: NYT ) move to expand its global ad business.
"This launch signifies the next step in building a premium ad business to support one of the largest and most talented sports journalism newsrooms in the world," the company said.
It's starting on the luxury side, with launch sponsor Chanel, and automaker Polestar and an undisclosed technology campaign to come "soon after."
That offers the chance to reach for some atypical sports advertisers. The Athletic will focus on "high-quality, relevant" placements to complement NYT subscription strategy, resulting in "fewer, better ads" on stories and podcasts.
It also means the chance to invest beyond The Athletic's already 400-plus employees and pursue new coverage areas, including Formula One, the World Cup and women's sports.
“It has been an exciting ride working with (publisher David Perpich) and The Athletic team to build our ad business from the ground up, develop new relationships, and unlock a significant revenue stream,” says Chief Commercial Officer Seb Tomich.
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The Athletic launches ads, broadening NYT strategy