The Athletic

The Athletic's primary article content is advertised as ad-free for subscribers. However, based on recent user feedback, the platform has begun including advertisements within its podcast content, even for paying subscribers. This has been a point of significant criticism from the user community.

While The Athletic allows users to save articles, several user reviews indicate that the app does not reliably function offline for accessing saved content. This is a noted limitation, especially for commuters or travelers without constant internet access.

Yes, you can follow specific teams, leagues, and sports to personalize your feed. However, multiple user reviews complain that the feed still shows content from sports or teams they do not follow, indicating that the filtering and exclusion mechanisms may not be fully effective.

The value depends on user priorities. It offers high-quality, in-depth writing and exclusive stories not found elsewhere, which many subscribers find valuable. Criticisms center on the recent introduction of ads in podcasts, feed customization issues, and app stability. Potential subscribers should weigh the depth of content against these reported drawbacks.