The New York Times Sports Department: A Casualty of Changing Times

The New York Times has announced the disbanding of its sports department and will now rely on The Athletic, a sports news outlet it purchased in January 2022 for $550 million. This comes after The Athletic's co-founder, Alex Mather, had previously boasted about waiting out and bleeding local newspapers until they were the last ones standing. The move has caused shock and disappointment, as the Times had a long-standing sports section that contributed to its reputation as the newspaper of record. Times management claims that sports staffers will be reassigned within the newsroom, but the future of comprehensive sports coverage and relationships with professional teams remains uncertain.