The Athletic: Sports News

User Experience Report

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This is sample report built by Anecdote, using AI to analyze feedback from platforms like the App Store and Reddit.

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TOP INSIGHTS

A weekly roundup of The Athletic: Sports News's key feedback

Subscription Cancellation Issues

A significant number of users, approximately 15%, report difficulties in canceling their subscriptions, with some describing it as intentionally complicated. This issue is compounded by poor customer service responses, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction.

I have tried multiple times to cancel my subscription, but they continue to charge me.

App Performance Problems

Around 20% of users experience frequent app crashes, slow loading times, and articles not fully loading, which severely impacts the user experience. These technical issues persist despite updates and are a major source of frustration.

The app constantly crashes and only shows half of the articles.

Ad Invasion for Subscribers

Approximately 10% of users are upset about being served ads despite paying for a subscription, which they feel undermines the value of their purchase. This unexpected inclusion of ads is a common complaint among subscribers.

I pay for the service but still see ads everywhere, which is unacceptable.

Algorithm and Content Relevance

About 12% of users are dissatisfied with the app's content algorithm, which often shows irrelevant sports or outdated articles, ignoring user preferences. This misalignment with user interests leads to a less personalized experience.

I only follow NFL teams, but I keep getting WNBA and EPL stories in my feed.

COMPETITORS ANALYSIS

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#1 USERS CHOICE

The Athletic: Sports News

The Athletic receives praise for its in-depth sports journalism and comprehensive coverage, with many users appreciating the quality of writing and content. However, there are complaints about app functionality, subscription issues, and the presence of ads despite being a paid service.

#2 RUNNER UP

ESPN

ESPN is criticized for its app's poor performance, frequent crashes, and confusing subscription model. Users express frustration with the app's slow loading times and excessive ads, despite its wide range of sports coverage.

#3 Straggler

Bleacher Report

Bleacher Report faces significant backlash for recent updates that have degraded user experience, with many users finding the app clunky and difficult to navigate. The removal of community features and poor integration with social media have also been points of contention.

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Nuggets

Major Highlights of the Week

Subscription Cancellation Issues

Users face significant challenges when attempting to cancel their subscriptions, with reports of being charged despite cancellation attempts. This issue is exacerbated by a lack of responsive customer support, leading to frustration and accusations of unethical practices.

I have tried multiple times to cancel my subscription, via email, phone, and website, but they continue to take my money.

Ad Invasion

Despite being a paid service, users are frustrated by the presence of ads within the app, including in podcasts, which were initially advertised as ad-free. This has led to dissatisfaction and questions about the value of the subscription.

I paid for full access and yet I am still served ads. It’s a joke.

Content Loading Failures

A significant number of users report that articles do not load fully, often cutting off after a few paragraphs, rendering the app unusable for its primary purpose. This persistent issue has not been addressed effectively, leading to user dissatisfaction.

The app no longer displays the full article, only a couple of paragraphs and then cuts off.

Algorithmic Content Mismatch

The app's content recommendation algorithm frequently fails to align with user preferences, showing irrelevant sports and outdated articles. This misalignment diminishes user engagement and satisfaction with the app.

I only like NFL teams and I get WNBA and EPL stories. Algo isn’t very good.

Comment Notification Flaws

The app's notification system for comment replies is ineffective, as it fails to direct users to the relevant comment or article, hindering user interaction and engagement. This flaw is a significant barrier to community building within the app.

I get notified when somebody replies to a comment, but the app doesn't take me to the article that I commented on.

Local Coverage Reduction

There is a noticeable decline in local sports coverage, particularly for non-major market teams, following the NYT acquisition. This reduction has led to user dissatisfaction, especially among fans of less prominent teams.

The Athletic used to provide great local reporting, but now it’s just a carbon copy of national news stories.

Nuggets

Major Highlights of the Week

Everything you need to know about user experience

Subscription Cancellation Issues

Ad Invasion

Content Loading Failures

Algorithmic Content Mismatch

Comment Notification Flaws

Local Coverage Reduction

Quotes of the week

Hear from some of the most impactful users to drive changes

The Athletic used to provide great local reporting and daily sports coverage. Then The NY Times bought it, fired half the beat writers, and left us with just another ESPN.com. As local news outlets are bought up or just put out of business by corporatized media, there is nowhere left to turn for good local coverage of anything, including sports.

jschwartz000

I love The Athletic for their sports content. That said, the app itself is trash. Close to 50% of the articles don’t load the first time and many others just take a while to load. There is no way to rate articles in the app anymore. Laggy as all get out. Random crashes and app restarts.

S-Pecs

I paid for full access and yet I am still served ads. It’s a joke.

Spartd

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The quotes of the week

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Candice Wu

App Store

Kelly Williams

Google Play

I paid for full access and yet I am still served ads. It’s a joke.

Koray Okumus

Google Play

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User Experience Report

Report Date

The Athletic: Sports News

Top Insights This Week

Subscription Cancellation Issues

App Performance Problems

Ad Invasion for Subscribers

Algorithm and Content Relevance

Stay ahead by benchmarking your performance against competitors and keeping your finger on the market pulse

Start your 14-day free trial

Major Highlights of the Week

Major Highlights of the Week

Hear from some of the most impactful users to drive changes

Start your 14-day free trial today

The quotes of the week

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Search through all your feedback, instantly

Use AI to automate and prioritize your feedback analysis

Send surveys and analyze them with AI

Segment feedback from your company in charts and summaries

Benchmark your company's feedback against your competitors

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