The Athletic has secured a multi-year licensing agreement with Pablo Torre’s podcast, Pablo Torre Finds Out, marking a significant step in the outlet’s push to expand its presence in the audio space and deepen its cultural footprint within sports storytelling.
According to Bloomberg, the deal is worth a reported seven figures and is one of two new licensing partnerships designed to add a more conversational, pop culture-infused layer to The Athletic’s sports coverage. Torre, a former ESPN personality and respected sports journalist, brings with him a rapidly growing audience and a podcast that blends longform storytelling, investigative journalism, and thoughtful discussion across the sports and entertainment landscape.
The podcast, produced through Meadowlark Media, has quickly become a destination for sports fans interested in more than just box scores and breaking news. Torre’s approach emphasizes narrative depth, nuanced interviews, and offbeat perspectives—qualities that align well with The Athletic’s growing ambition to be more than a platform for traditional sports news.
The move comes as The New York Times, which owns The Athletic, continues to explore new ways to generate revenue from its $550 million acquisition of the sports journalism outlet in 2022. Though The Athletic has built a strong subscriber base, profitability remains a long-term goal, and podcasting is increasingly viewed as a core pillar of its growth strategy.
While details on the second podcast licensing agreement were not made public, the Times appears committed to investing in audio as both a storytelling platform and a monetization opportunity. In recent months, it has quietly ramped up its audio content development, signaling a broader shift toward multimedia journalism.
For Torre, this deal represents a new chapter in an already versatile career. He rose to prominence through his work at Sports Illustrated and ESPN, before branching out into independent media with Meadowlark, the content company co-founded by Dan Le Batard. His podcast, launched in 2023, has featured deep dives into topics like sports gambling, athlete psychology, and the evolving nature of fandom.
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