Exploring the world of sports blogging offers a unique opportunity to connect you with passionate fans, share expert insights, and build a dedicated audience.
By examining the strategies and successes of established sports blogs, you can gain valuable knowledge to start a similar blog and succeed faster.
This post will reveal the secrets behind some of the most successful sports blogs and provide actionable steps to help you start your own blog.
In This Article, We’ve Covered
- 10 Examples of sports blogs
- Common success attributes among these blogs
- How to start a similar blog in steps
Note: Some information like traffic, income, number of posts, DA, will usually change over time, the site itself might entirely be acquired and evolve into something else or even get terminated. We will try to keep the content as updated as we can but we don’t guarantee its accuracy at all times.
10 Examples of Successful Sports Blogs
Briefly tell me about the type of content this blog publishes if I intend to start a similar blog.
- Bleacher Report
- SB Nation
- Sports Illustrated
- Deadspin
- Barstool Sports
- The Ringer
- ProFootballTalk
- The Sports Daily
- The Undefeated
- Kickette
[1]. Bleacher Report
Niche Focus: General sports, trending news
Overview: Bleacher Report is one of the largest sports media platforms, known for delivering breaking sports news, viral content, and in-depth analysis across all major sports.
Content Types: Game highlights, sports commentary, player rankings, interviews, feature articles, videos, and live game updates.
Unique Features: Their “B/R App” delivers real-time notifications, and their focus on social-driven, viral sports content makes them a go-to for sports enthusiasts, especially younger audiences.
Blog’s Insights
- Founder: Dave Nemetz
- Link: Bleacher Report
- Monthly Traffic: 30 million visits
- Estimated Monthly Income: $500,000
- Monetization: Ads, sponsored content, affiliate marketing
- Number of Posts: 10,000+
- DA: 88
- Contact: contact@bleacherreport.com
- Blog Age: 15 years (Founded in 2005)
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[2]. SB Nation
Niche Focus: General sports, community-driven content
Overview: SB Nation is a sports blog network, hosting community-driven sports content with fan perspectives across a wide range of sports.
Content Types: Game recaps, fan opinions, sports news, analysis, and team-specific blogs.
Unique Features: SB Nation’s fan-driven approach fosters community engagement, with a network of team-specific blogs allowing fans to contribute and share their own insights.
Blog’s Insights
- Founder: Tyler Bleszinski
- Link: SB Nation
- Monthly Traffic: 12 million visits
- Estimated Monthly Income: $200,000
- Monetization: Ads, sponsored content, affiliate marketing
- Number of Posts: 5,000+
- DA: 77
- Contact: contact@sbnation.com
- Blog Age: 16 years (Founded in 2005)
How to start a sports blog like “SB Nation” and make money
[3]. Sports Illustrated
Niche: General sports, in-depth analysis
Overview: Sports Illustrated is a classic sports publication with a longstanding history of in-depth sports journalism, covering a wide array of professional and college sports.
Content Types: Game coverage, in-depth player profiles, expert analysis, long-form feature stories, and exclusive interviews.
Unique Features: Known for its high-quality journalism, Sports Illustrated’s comprehensive analysis and storytelling set it apart, particularly its iconic cover stories and feature-length articles.
Blog’s Insights
- Founder: Henry Luce
- Link: Sports Illustrated
- Monthly Traffic: 20 million visits
- Estimated Monthly Income: $400,000
- Monetization: Ads, subscription model, sponsored content
- Number of Posts: 15,000+
- DA: 84
- Contact: customer.service@si.com
- Blog Age: 70 years (Founded in 1954)
How to start a sports blog like “Sports Illustrated” and make money
[4]. Deadspin
Niche: Sports news, pop culture, satire
Overview: Deadspin is known for blending sports coverage with pop culture and humor, often delivering a satirical take on major sports stories and controversies.
Content Types: Sports news, opinion pieces, pop culture analysis, viral moments, and satirical commentary.
Unique Features: Deadspin’s irreverent, comedic style offers a refreshing take on sports journalism, combining traditional sports coverage with biting social commentary and humor.
Blog’s Insights
- Founder: Will Leitch
- Link: Deadspin
- Monthly Traffic: 1.5 million visits
- Estimated Monthly Income: $50,000
- Monetization: Ads, sponsored content
- Number of Posts: 1,500+
- DA: 64
- Contact: tips@deadspin.com
- Blog Age: 17 years (Founded in 2005)
How to start a sports blog like “Deadspin” and make money
[5]. Barstool Sports
Niche: Sports and pop culture entertainment
Overview: Barstool Sports is a media company that blends sports news with pop culture, often in a humorous, sometimes controversial, style. Its content is geared toward a younger, predominantly male audience.
Content Types: Game analysis, viral videos, podcasts, fan commentary, memes, and pop culture discussions.
Unique Features: Known for its informal, edgy tone, Barstool Sports has a huge following thanks to its popular podcasts and viral videos. It has built a strong community through its mix of humor, sports, and lifestyle content.
Blog’s Insights
- Founder: Dave Portnoy
- Link: Barstool Sports
- Monthly Traffic: 10 million visits
- Estimated Monthly Income: $300,000
- Monetization: Ads, merchandise, sponsored content
- Number of Posts: 5,000+
- DA: 80
- Contact: contact@barstoolsports.com
- Blog Age: 20 years (Founded in 2003)
How to start a sports blog like “Barstool Sports” and make money
[6]. The Ringer
Niche Focus: Sports, pop culture, media
Overview: Founded by Bill Simmons, The Ringer covers sports, pop culture, and tech with an emphasis on detailed analysis and podcasts.
Content Types: Sports analysis, pop culture commentary, in-depth feature stories, and podcasts.
Unique Features: The Ringer is known for its high-quality podcasts, blending sports with pop culture discussions. Their multimedia approach, including long-form journalism and podcasting, attracts fans of both sports and entertainment.
Blog’s Insights
- Founder: Bill Simmons
- Link: The Ringer
- Monthly Traffic: 4 million visits
- Estimated Monthly Income: $150,000
- Monetization: Ads, sponsored content, podcast subscriptions
- Number of Posts: 3,000+
- DA: 71
- Contact: support@theringer.com
- Blog Age: 8 years (Founded in 2016)
How to start a sports blog like “The Ringer” and make money
[7]. ProFootballTalk
Niche: NFL-focused content
Overview: ProFootballTalk, part of NBC Sports, is a site devoted exclusively to NFL news, analysis, and rumors, delivering breaking updates and expert opinions on all things related to American football.
Content Types: NFL news, trade rumors, injury reports, game analysis, and draft coverage.
Unique Features: ProFootballTalk’s round-the-clock NFL coverage and insider knowledge make it a go-to resource for football fans, with a strong focus on timely and accurate reporting.
Blog’s Insights
- Founder: Mike Florio
- Link: ProFootballTalk
- Monthly Traffic: 1 million visits
- Estimated Monthly Income: $75,000
- Monetization: Ads, sponsored content
- Number of Posts: 2,000+
- DA: 66
- Contact: info@nbcsports.com
- Blog Age: 16 years (Founded in 2007)
How to start a sports blog like “ProFootballTalk” and make money
[8]. The Sports Daily
Niche: General sports news and opinion
Overview: The Sports Daily is a comprehensive sports site covering everything from football and basketball to soccer and MMA. It offers news, analysis, and opinion pieces on major sports leagues and events.
Content Types: Sports news, game previews, opinion columns, and feature stories.
Unique Features: The Sports Daily offers a broad scope of coverage with a balance of expert analysis and fan-based opinion pieces, making it accessible to casual sports fans and die-hard enthusiasts alike.
Blog’s Insights
- Founder: Keith Schlosser
- Link: The Sports Daily
- Monthly Traffic: 700,000 visits
- Estimated Monthly Income: $30,000
- Monetization: Ads, sponsored content
- Number of Posts: 1,200+
- DA: 62
- Blog Age: 12 years (Founded in 2012)
- Contact: info@thesportsdaily.com
How to start a sports blog like “The Sports Daily” and make money
[9]. The Undefeated
Niche: Sports, culture, race
Overview: The Undefeated, part of ESPN, focuses on the intersection of sports, race, and culture, offering thought-provoking content that goes beyond the game to explore the societal impact of sports.
Content Types: Long-form articles, player profiles, cultural analysis, and social justice issues related to sports.
Unique Features: The Undefeated’s emphasis on race and culture in sports sets it apart, providing in-depth analysis and coverage of the broader societal implications of sports figures and events.
Blog’s Insights
- Founder: Kevin Merida
- Link: The Undefeated
- Monthly Traffic: 500,000 visits
- Estimated Monthly Income: $50,000
- Monetization: Ads, sponsored content
- Number of Posts: 800+
- DA: 58
- Contact: contact@theundefeated.com
- Blog Age: 7 years (Founded in 2017)
How to start a sports blog like “The Undefeated” and make money
[10]. Kickette
Niche: Soccer (Football), player lifestyle
Overview: Kickette was a blog focused on soccer players, but with a unique angle on their lifestyles, fashion, and gossip, making it a fun, offbeat take on sports coverage.
Content Types: Player gossip, fashion commentary, lifestyle articles, and humor.
Unique Features: Unlike traditional soccer blogs, Kickette offered a playful, tabloid-style look at the personal lives of footballers, with a heavy emphasis on off-field gossip and glamour.
Blog’s Insights
- Founder: Kickette Team
- Link: Kickette
- Monthly Traffic: 400,000 visits
- Estimated Monthly Income: $20,000
- Monetization: Ads, sponsored content
- Number of Posts: 1,000+
- DA: 60
- Contact: info@kickette.com
- Blog Age: 15 years (Founded in 2008)
How to start a sports blog like “Kickette” and make money
Common Attributes Among Successful Sports Blogs
If you examine these successful sports blogs individually, you’ll notice they share several key features.
These attributes are essential for achieving a similar level of success.
Below are these common traits among these successful sports blogs:
- 400+ Published Posts: Most have at least 400 posts published.
- Thousands of Backlinks: These blogs have acquired a good number of backlinks organically over time and not manually.
- Multiple Monetization Methods: They mostly make over 10,000 per month utilizing monetization methods like:
- Display ads [Google AdSense, Mediavine, Adthrive & Ezoic are the most utilized].
- Affiliate promotions [mostly using Impact radius, PartnerStack, etc., and other single affiliate programs]
- Sponsorships
- Digital info products [courses & e-books]
- Active for 3+ Years: They have been active for a minimum of three years which allows them to gain experience, grow, and refine their initial approach to something better.
- Strong Internal Linking: Effective internal linking has helped them gain more indexed pages and better Google ranking, while also helping to keep readers longer on their site.
- Regular Visit: These blogs have built a loyal base of repeat visitors who regularly engage with their content and are likely to click on their blog on similar search queries in Google search results due to trust of familiarity.
These are common traits found among the successful blogs mentioned in this post which has helped them achieve this success. Content quality is vital, it evolves as the blog grows, and owners learn to enhance and refine it over time.
You can master these strategies in our vital post on the “12 Key Blogging Tips and Strategies.”
How to Start A Similar Successful Sports Blog And Make Money
Here is how you can start a similar blog like the ones mentioned in this post.
According to my experience, I think anyone at all very interested in blogging will succeed just like these ones mentioned here just that sometimes it also takes time.
Start Below
Start within a sub-niche in your niche
We have a list of several sports blog post topics under different sub-niches to find blog post topic ideas write about.
If you decide on which sub-niche to go into within blog niche you can follow the below steps to set up your blog and get it ready for publishing blog posts.
Follow the steps below to get started when you’ve chosen your niche.
- Step 1: Click on “HostGator” to host your blog
- Step 2: Choose your preferred HostGator plan
- Step 3: Choose your preferred domain & complete your sign-up
- Step 4: Within your HostGator account “Install WordPress” your blogging platform
- Step 5: Within WordPress choose your blog theme [A Pre-built Site]
- Step 6: Customize the pre-designed pages, and start writing and publishing blog posts.
As you get started, things will become clearer as you gradually gain experience and understand how things work.
You can start by making a list of your niche blog posts – Sports Blog Post Topic Ideas
This is how you can start and grow a blog like the ones mentioned in this post.