About Us
Powered by one of the largest global newsrooms in sports media, The Athletic brings sports fans the most comprehensive stories about the teams, sports and athletes they love. The Athletic’s newsroom of 500+ full-time staff delivers in-depth coverage of hundreds of professional and college teams across more than 47 North American markets and all 20 football clubs in the English Premier League, as well as many Championship clubs.
The mission of The Athletic’s internship program is meant to attract and develop the industry’s next stars. The intern will help shape our most informative coverage while helping to advance our goal to be the top destination for sports news around the world.
About the Role
The Athletic is accepting applications for its Leon H. Carter newsroom internship, a 12-week program either remote or based in New York City, which will run from June 2027 to August 2027. Dates of the internship are subject to change.
Leon H. Carter is the Editor at Large at The Athletic. Prior to joining The Athletic in 2021, he was a VP at ESPN. He also worked 15 years at the NY Daily News. Under his leadership, the NYDN won numerous national awards. In 1993, he helped create the Sports Journalism Institute to improve diversity at media outlets. In 2022, he received the Red Smith Award, one of the highest honors in sports journalism.
The intern will be embedded on our Sports Business team, which will expose the intern to every facet of the newsroom. You will work on projects involving the video team and another intersecting with our data team. There will be selective day-to-day reporting and writing opportunities as news arises with hands-on editing from the hiring manager and others. You will conduct daily industry research to spot potential stories and to develop story-pitching/honing skills. You will have 1:1 meetings with reporters and editors who focus on Sports Business reporting.
The rate of pay for this role is $25.00 USD / Hour.
The application deadline is 10/30/2026.
Responsibilities
Working on projects with a specific vertical collaborating with the Sports Business desk.
Conducting interviews with subject-matter experts and newsmakers.
Creating first-person explainer videos on sports-business topics.
Helping to curate and create the weekly MoneyCall Sports Business newsletter.
Requirements
Undergraduate students who are ideally in their junior or senior year. All undergraduates and post graduates are encouraged to apply however.
Ability to work a 30 to 40 hour work week.
Previous newsroom internship experience is a plus.
Flexibility: ability to adapt to fast-paced work environments where needs and priorities can change quickly.
Deep knowledge of and a passion for sports.
Demonstrated experience creating video is a plus.
This is a remote internship that will require some travel to New York City. Candidates based in New York City have the option of working on-site in the New York office.
Application Directions
Submit a resume.
Submit an essay between 500 to 700 words explaining why you should be considered for this internship, including but not limited to your main area of interest - reporting.
Submit 2 letters of recommendation. Letters can be added directly to the application or emailed to careers@theathletic.com
Submit a portfolio of at least 5 relevant samples showcasing strong reporting skills.
For roles in the U.S., dependent on your role, you may be eligible for variable pay, such as an annual bonus and restricted stock. Benefits may include medical, dental and vision benefits, Flexible Spending Accounts (F.S.A.s), a company-matching 401(k) plan, paid vacation, paid sick days, paid parental leave, tuition reimbursement and professional development programs.
For roles outside of the U.S., information on benefits will be provided during the interview process.
We are excited to learn more about you and your experience. To keep our hiring process as fair and authentic as possible, we ask that you submit your own work and not use GenAI tools to generate substantive content during the application and interview process. If you are a candidate for a technical role, we will let you know what specific tools you are permitted to use for your technical assessment.
The Athletic Media Company is an equal opportunity employer and enthusiastically encourages people from all backgrounds and experiences to apply. The Athletic will consider all applicants without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
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Beware of fraudulent job recruiting schemes! Our recruiters use careers@theathletic.com exclusively, and our team members will use an email address with @theathletic.com domain. We do not conduct interviews via text or instant message and we do not ask candidates to download software, to purchase equipment through us, or to provide sensitive personally identifiable information, such as bank accounts or social security numbers. If you have been contacted by someone claiming to be a member of the recruiting/HR team at The Athletic but operating from a different email address about a job offer, please report it as potential job fraud to the law enforcement and to people@theathletic.com.
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