| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports media, Publishing |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Founder | Jerry McCoin |
Key people | Paul Edmondson (CEO, The Arena Group) |
| Parent | The Arena Group (2022–present) |
| Website | athlonsports |
Athlon Sports Communications, Inc., doing business as Athlon Sports, is an American sports media publisher owned by The Arena Group, which is based in New York City. Founded in 1967 by Jerry McCoin, the company is best known for its preseason annuals covering college football, the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and the National Basketball Association. [1] [2]
Historically a print-focused entity, Athlon Sports has operated as a subsidiary of The Arena Group since 2022. [3] While the brand has transitioned to a digital-first daily news model, it continues to publish its legacy single-issue preseason magazines annually, including the 2025 editions. [4]
Athlon Sports was established by Jerry McCoin in Nashville, Tennessee. [5] McCoin, a college football fan, launched the company in 1967 to provide in-depth information on Southeastern Conference (SEC) teams through a regional preview magazine. [2]
By the mid-1990s, Athlon had expanded into a national brand, becoming one of several prominent college football preview magazines competing for readers alongside Lindy's Sports, Street & Smith's, and Phil Steele's College Football Preview. [6] [7]
In the 2000s, Athlon expanded its digital footprint with the launch of AthlonSports.com. The website was relaunched in 2010 under Interactive Director Nathan Karp, who stated that "Athlon's digital presence grew in several directions and became fragmented over the years" and positioned the redesigned site "to support and extend our digital and print offerings." [8]
By 2024, under new corporate direction, Athlon's primary operational focus pivoted to a "competitive publishing" model. This strategy emphasizes 24/7 breaking news and team-specific coverage to drive programmatic advertising revenue. [9] Despite this shift to a digital-first daily news cycle, the company continues to publish its legacy print Annuals—including its flagship College Football Annual—as of the 2025 season. [10]
Athlon operated as a private entity for the majority of its history. In 2014, the company acquired Parade Media Group from Advance Publications, a move that consolidated the newspaper-distributed magazine market by bringing Parade , Relish, and Spry Living under Athlon's management. [11]
In April 2022, The Arena Group acquired Athlon Media Group (AMG) for approximately $16 million. The acquisition was intended to anchor The Arena Group's sports vertical alongside its then-license of Sports Illustrated . [3] Following the termination of the Sports Illustrated license in early 2024, Athlon Sports became a primary focus for The Arena Group's owned-and-operated sports portfolio. [12]
In 2016, the company was involved in Athlon Sports Communications, Inc. v. Stephen C. Duggan, a legal case heard by the Tennessee Court of Appeals. The dispute centered on a separation agreement and stock valuation following a turnaround attempt during the Great Recession.
Stephen Duggan, a former executive hired in 2010 to modernize the company's publishing model, contested the valuation of his equity interest upon his departure. The case provided public insight into the financial challenges the print-media company faced prior to its acquisition of Parade. [13]