The Sporting News
A United States sports-media brand founded as a baseball-focused weekly newspaper in 1886 and now operating primarily as a digital sports-news publisher.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
The Sporting News is a United States sports-media brand with roots in a weekly newspaper first published in St. Louis on March 17, 1886. Founded by Alfred H. Spink, a director of the St. Louis Browns baseball club, the publication initially concentrated on baseball, horse racing, and professional wrestling. Its early baseball specialization helped it become one of the most influential American sports publications, eventually earning the informal description “the Bible of Baseball.” During the early twentieth century, The Sporting News played an active role in the development of organized professional baseball. It supported the American League when that circuit was established as a rival to the National League and published commentary on reforms aimed at improving the sport’s credibility, including opposition to gambling, restrictions on alcohol sales at ballparks, and efforts to reduce abuse of umpires. Editor Arthur Flanner was involved in drafting the 1903 National Agreement, which helped establish a working settlement between the two major leagues and contributed to the institutional framework surrounding the modern World Series. The publication also printed many photographs by Charles Conlon, whose portraits of baseball players became important records of the sport’s early twentieth-century history. Control remained with the Spink family for much of the first half of the twentieth century. Alfred Spink’s son, J. G. Taylor Spink, took control in 1914 and expanded the publication’s influence. Although baseball remained central, the brand broadened its editorial scope. It added regular football coverage in 1942 and introduced an eight-page football tabloid in 1946, later expanding that title into broader coverage of basketball, hockey, and other sports. The Sporting News also developed a substantial awards franchise, including the Player of the Year award introduced in 1936 and numerous baseball, football, basketball, and college-sports honors. The publication changed ownership and format repeatedly in the late twentieth century. The Spink family sold it to Times Mirror in 1977, and it was transferred to the Tribune Company in 1981. In 1991 it moved from a newspaper format to a glossy, full-color all-sports magazine. It began supplying sports content to AOL in 1996 and launched sportingnews.com in 1997. Tribune sold the company to Vulcan Inc. in 2000, after which the brand expanded into sports radio through the acquisition and rebranding of the One on One Sports network. The title was shortened to Sporting News from 2002 until February 2022. Vulcan sold it to Advance Media in 2006, with operations placed under American City Business Journals and gradually relocated from St. Louis to Charlotte, North Carolina. The Sporting News ended its print run in December 2012 after 126 years and became a digital-only publication. In 2013, American City Business Journals contributed the brand to a joint venture with Perform Group’s United States operations. Perform ultimately acquired full control in 2015. Under Perform, the site adopted a more tabloid-oriented digital presentation, introduced a redesigned logo and website, increased use of Perform’s Omnisport content service, and expanded localized editions in markets connected to the company’s DAZN streaming business. In 2018, Sporting News became part of DAZN Group after Perform separated its consumer properties from its sports-data operations. DAZN Group sold the brand to a private investment consortium in December 2020, creating Sporting News Holdings. The brand currently operates as a digital sports publisher with editions serving several international markets.
History
The Sporting News began in St. Louis in 1886 as a five-cent weekly founded by Alfred H. Spink. Its initial editorial mix included baseball, horse racing, and professional wrestling, but baseball soon became its defining subject. By the period surrounding the First World War, it had developed into the only nationally distributed American newspaper devoted exclusively to baseball, giving it unusual authority among players, clubs, writers, and fans. The publication’s influence extended beyond reporting. It backed the American League during its formation and supported reforms designed to strengthen professional baseball’s integrity. In 1903, editor Arthur Flanner participated in work on the National Agreement, the settlement that helped bring the American and National leagues into a more stable relationship. The magazine also published photographs by Charles Conlon, whose ballpark portraits preserved a visual history of early Major League Baseball. J. G. Taylor Spink assumed control in 1914, keeping the business within the founding family and reinforcing its baseball credentials. The Sporting News introduced its Player of the Year award in 1936, an honor selected through voting by Major League Baseball players. Football coverage was added in 1942, followed by a football-oriented tabloid in 1946 that later became a wider all-sports publication. Over subsequent decades, the brand created awards covering baseball players, managers, executives, rookies, relievers, and minor-league performers, along with honors for NFL, college football, NBA, and college basketball figures. After J. G. Taylor Spink died in 1962, his son C. C. Johnson Spink continued the family’s association with the publication. The brand modernized its presentation, including the publication of its first full-color photograph in 1967. Ownership then moved outside the family: Times Mirror acquired the publication in 1977, the Tribune Company acquired it in 1981, and the title became a glossy full-color all-sports magazine in 1991. Its digital development began with AOL content distribution in 1996 and the launch of sportingnews.com in 1997. Tribune sold the business to Vulcan Inc. in 2000. Vulcan acquired One on One Sports in 2001 and relaunched the network as Sporting News Radio. In 2002, the publication dropped “The” from its displayed title, using Sporting News until the restoration of the original name in February 2022. Advance Media acquired the brand in 2006 and placed it under American City Business Journals. Operations moved from St. Louis to Charlotte between 2007 and 2008, while the magazine adopted a biweekly schedule in 2008. The decisive format change came in December 2012, when the publication issued its last print edition and became digital-only. In 2013, it entered a joint venture with Perform Group’s United States sports-media assets. Perform acquired the remaining interest in 2015 and shifted the site toward a faster, more tabloid-like digital model. A redesigned site and logo appeared in 2016, and the company increasingly used its Omnisport wire service for text and video. Localized editions expanded internationally, often alongside promotion of DAZN’s sports-streaming service. In 2018, Sporting News moved into DAZN Group when Perform separated its consumer businesses from its sports-data operations. The brand’s historical archive was acquired by Lindenwood University in 2020. Later that year, DAZN Group sold Sporting News to a private investment consortium, which established Sporting News Holdings. The current brand is principally a digital sports publisher, combining original reporting, analysis, video, event coverage, and sports-award properties across editions in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan.
- 2022
Original name restored
[1]The brand resumed use of The Sporting News after operating as Sporting News since 2002.
- 2020
Sporting News Holdings formed
[1]A private investment consortium acquired the brand from DAZN Group and created Sporting News Holdings.
- 2016
Digital redesign introduced
[1]The site adopted a new logo and website design under Perform ownership.
- 2012
Print edition discontinued
[1]The final print issue was published in December, ending the brand’s print era.
- 2002
Title shortened to Sporting News
[1]The publication dropped the definite article from its displayed name.
- 1997
Sportingnews.com launched
[1]The brand established its own online sports-news destination.
- 1991
Converted to glossy all-sports magazine
[1]The publication changed from a newspaper format into a full-color magazine.
- 1981
Acquired by Tribune Company
[1]C. C. Johnson Spink sold the publication to the Tribune Company.
- 1977
Sold to Times Mirror
[1]The Spink family sold the publication to Times Mirror.
- 1942
Regular football coverage begins
[1]The Sporting News expanded beyond baseball by adding in-season football coverage.
Products and positioning
A broad sports-news and analysis publisher with historic authority in baseball and an international digital editorial footprint.
Digital sports publication · 1997
Sportingnews.com
The brand’s principal digital platform, publishing reporting, previews, analysis, commentary, league coverage, player news, and sports video. The site developed from the brand’s 1997 web launch and now serves a broader international audience than the historic print publication.
Sports newspaper and magazine · 1886
The Sporting News print publication
The original weekly sports publication began as a baseball-centered newspaper, later expanded into a multi-sport title, and became a glossy full-color magazine in 1991. Print publication ended in December 2012 after 126 years.
Sports awards · 1936
Sporting News awards
A group of editorial and fan-recognized honors spanning Major League Baseball, minor-league baseball, the NFL, college football, the NBA, and college basketball. The portfolio has included player, pitcher, rookie, reliever, comeback, manager, executive, coach, and All-Pro or All-America selections.
Sports award · 1968
Athlete of the Year
The brand’s broad athlete honor evolved from the Sportsman of the Year program, which ran from 1968 to 2007. Separate professional and college awards were used in 2008–2010 before being consolidated into Athlete of the Year from 2011.
Brand decisions
2020
Sale to Sporting News HoldingsM&ABackground
DAZN Group sold the consumer sports-news brand after holding it as part of its broader media portfolio.
Action taken
A private investment consortium acquired Sporting News and formed Sporting News Holdings.
Aftermath
The brand became independently held by Sporting News Holdings rather than a unit of DAZN Group.
2018
Transfer into DAZN GroupStrategyBackground
Perform Group separated its consumer-facing properties from its sports-data business.
Action taken
Sporting News was placed in DAZN Group along with other consumer media properties.
Aftermath
The brand operated within a group focused on sports media and streaming-related consumer businesses until its 2020 sale.
2015
Perform Group takes full controlM&ABackground
Perform Group had previously held the majority stake in the Sporting News joint venture.
Action taken
Perform acquired the remaining interest in Sporting News Media.
Aftermath
The company aligned Sporting News more closely with Perform’s content, video, international, and streaming-related operations.
2013
Joint venture with Perform GroupM&ABackground
American City Business Journals sought to combine Sporting News with a digital sports-data and content operator.
Action taken
Sporting News was contributed to Perform Sporting News Limited, with Perform Group holding the majority interest.
Aftermath
The brand became part of a larger digital sports-content network and later came fully under Perform ownership.
2012
Move from print to digital-only publishingStrategyBackground
After more than a century as a print title, the publication faced a media environment increasingly centered on online distribution and digital advertising.
Action taken
The Sporting News published its final print issue in December 2012 and continued as a digital sports publisher.
Aftermath
The change ended the newspaper and magazine era while making sportingnews.com the central expression of the brand.
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