According to The Information site, the first to report on the operation, the "NYT" will spend around $ 550 million.
Asked by AFP, neither the New York Times nor The Athletic responded immediately.
Launched in 2016, The Athletic bet on paid sports information with a strong local presence, hiring renowned journalists in major American cities.
Taking advantage of the poor health of an often financially drained local press, the platform quickly became an essential place for sports information in the United States.
At the end of 2021, it had around 1.2 million subscribers, according to several American media.
The site has grown at an accelerating pace, launching a UK version in 2019 and partnering with Australian television group Optus Sport in 2021.
He has also created numerous podcasts, including the popular The Lead.
But, according to several American media, The Athletic is struggling to achieve profitability and is currently considering a refocusing of its strategy.
In recent years, the New York Times has embarked on a policy of targeted acquisitions to diversify its audience, rejuvenate it, and enrich its offering, from cooking recipes to podcasts.
In 2016, he bought the Wirecutter site, which tests and recommends products, before taking control, in June 2020, of the Serial Productions studio, behind the first great success in the podcast universe, "Serial" .
According to the Crunchbase database, The Athletic has raised a total of $ 139.5 million from investors since its inception, and was valued between $ 500 million and $ 1 billion when it was last raised in January. 2020.
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