The New Playbook for Sports Media: Niche Audiences and Strategic Partnerships
In digital media, the one constant is the enduring appeal of live sports. As entertainment landscapes fragment, athletic content remains a powerful source of shared experience. This leverage is driving unprecedented investment in sports rights and elevating athletes to the status of major cultural influencers. Two emerging players, OffBall and Togethxr, are capitalizing on this trend by focusing on distinct, high-growth segments: sports culture and women’s sports, respectively. Their recent partnership signals a shift in how digital media companies are approaching growth and sustainability.
The Rise of Niche Sports Publishers
Launched in 2024, OffBall and 2021, Togethxr, represent a new breed of digital sports publisher. Both companies are relatively little, but they’ve quickly gained traction by targeting underserved audiences and employing unconventional strategies. Togethxr was cofounded by prominent athletes Alex Morgan, Sue Bird, Simone Manuel, and Chloe Kim, alongside sports media veteran Jessica Robertson. Nancy Dubuc, former CEO of Vice Media and A+E Networks, joined as executive chair last April.
OffBall’s founders include Michaela Hammond (founding team of The Players’ Tribune), former Sports Illustrated editor-in-chief Chris Stone, and Adam Mendelsohn, whose firm Upland Workshop has launched Puck and LeBron James’ SpringHill Company. This pedigree underscores the seriousness with which these ventures are approaching the market.
A Partnership Built on Complementary Strengths
The partnership between OffBall and Togethxr is designed to leverage their respective strengths. Togethxr, with its focus on women’s sports, generated around $30 million in revenue in 2025 and achieved profitability. Revenue streams include branded content, premium video series (like Surf Girls Hawaii on Prime Video), and merchandise—particularly items featuring their slogan, “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports,” which has become a recognizable symbol.
OffBall, whereas smaller, has prioritized audience loyalty over rapid scaling. With 80,000 social media followers and 20,000 newsletter subscribers, the company intentionally avoids AI-driven personalization, opting for a curated experience managed by a small editorial team. OffBall’s revenue grew 105% over the last year and is projected to reach the mid-seven figures. Branded content partnerships with Nike, WhatsApp, and CashApp are its primary revenue source.
Through this partnership, Togethxr gains access to OffBall’s always-on advertising opportunities and first-party data, while OffBall benefits from Togethxr’s established sales, business development, and operations teams. This allows OffBall to expand without needing to raise additional capital.
Bootstrapped Growth and the Future of Media Entrepreneurship
This deal isn’t a merger, but Togethxr will take a minority equity stake in OffBall, tied to the partnership’s performance. The structure reflects a broader trend in digital media: a move away from capital-intensive scaling and toward sustainable, audience-focused growth. Rather than relying on massive funding rounds, publishers are prioritizing direct engagement through channels like newsletters and social media, and monetizing through attractive CPM rates.
The editorial focus on cost-effective content creation is also noteworthy. As publishers face revenue pressures, they are seeking ways to cover popular topics without the expense of traditional beat reporting or sports rights acquisitions. This trend extends beyond sports, impacting lifestyle coverage as well, as seen with upcoming changes at Condé Nast.
Talking Heads
Consumer Reports Rebranding: The 90-year-old publisher unveiled a $3 million brand marketing campaign to expand its base of 5 million paying members. The campaign emphasizes its consumer advocacy efforts. Consumer Reports generates around 70% of its $266 million in revenue directly from memberships.
Beehiiv Expansion: The creator economy platform hired Darren Chait as its first chief marketing officer, signaling a broader expansion beyond newsletters. Beehiiv aims to reach $55 million in revenue this year.
Index Exchange and Audiochuck Appointments: Index Exchange hired Catherine Patterson as its new senior vice president of platform and partnerships, while Audiochuck appointed Matt Shanfield as its first head of TV and film, reflecting the evolving media landscape.
Pulled Quotes
“This is how people are getting content today.” – Malcolm Harris, host of the What the Truck logistics industry live-stream, on the rise of niche live-streamers.
“This is a race to the bottom, and it’s going to be bad for customers and for us.” – An anonymous credit card official, on the competition amongst premium credit cards.
“There are easier ways to develop $2.8 billion.” – Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, on the breakup fee paid by Paramount.
“What if humans are something better than machines? For that matter, what if it isn’t close?” – Charles Finch of The Atlantic, reviewing Michael Pollan’s new book exploring AI and consciousness.
Quote/Unquote
Dan Suratt, CEO of America’s Test Kitchen and Culinary Media Group: “We had liked the asset [Food52] for years and had a strong conviction that we wanted to buy it…Food52 is female-oriented and younger, whereas ATK is more 50-50 in its gender makeup and oriented toward consumers aged 40 to 60. So this is an opportunity for us to reach a different audience.”
FAQ
Q: What is the main benefit of the OffBall and Togethxr partnership?
A: The partnership allows both companies to leverage each other’s strengths – Togethxr’s sales and operations expertise and OffBall’s always-on advertising opportunities and audience data.
Q: Is this partnership a merger?
A: No, It’s not a merger. Togethxr will take a minority equity stake in OffBall, but both companies will continue to operate independently.
Q: What is Togethxr’s primary revenue source?
A: Togethxr generates revenue from branded content, premium video content, and merchandise sales.
Q: What is OffBall’s approach to content creation?
A: OffBall prioritizes a curated experience managed by a small editorial team and intentionally avoids AI-driven personalization.
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