Minor Sports Coolies Across the Spectrum Find a Home in a Gathering New Journalism Venture
EssentiallySports Transforms Sports Journalism with Audience-First Approach
In 2014, three engineers, Jaskirat Arora, Suryansh Tibarewal, and Harit Pathak, founded EssentiallySports with a vision to revolutionize sports journalism. They set out to create the content they wanted to read, focusing on sports with highly engaged but underserved fanbases like tennis and Formula 1, a niche that few U.S. outlets were addressing at the time [2].
Their strategy paid off. By 2017, EssentiallySports was drawing more tennis traffic than the official ATP site [2]. This early success was further boosted during the COVID-19 pandemic when many traditional media organizations scaled back coverage. EssentiallySports, however, expanded its team to over 40 professionals, maintained a rigorous publishing schedule, and responded to increased fan demand for in-depth content, documentaries, and deep analysis [2].
The platform's content included thematic explorations such as analyzing leadership in popular sports documentaries, appealing to a devoted subset of sports fans who care deeply about more than mainstream sports coverage [2]. As a result, EssentiallySports grew to engage over 30 million monthly readers on its website and over 1 million newsletter subscribers daily [1][2].
In addition to digital content, EssentiallySports has expanded into live activations and creator programs that provide independent sports writers tools and access to passionate readers [2]. This multi-pronged, community-focused strategy has reshaped their presence in the modern sports media landscape and underpinned their significant audience and influence [2].
Notably, EssentiallySports has also made strides in women's sports. Their dedicated vertical, launched in recent years, has seen success with newsletters such as "She Got Game" now exceeding 100,000 subscribers [3].
With a team of experienced media leaders from major international platforms in advisory roles [1], EssentiallySports has outpaced traditional publishers, becoming one of the top sports publishers in the United States [3]. Their NASCAR newsletter alone reaches over 200,000 subscribers [1].
In golf, consistent coverage helped EssentiallySports build a subscriber base that doubled industry averages [2]. Their coverage of popular series like "The Last Dance" analyzed broader themes such as leadership in sports and its relevance in business, further broadening their appeal [2].
In a world where sports coverage can often feel shallow and formulaic, EssentiallySports stands out for its commitment to depth and audience engagement. Their success serves as a testament to the power of an audience-first approach in the ever-evolving landscape of sports journalism.
References: [1] EssentiallySports. (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved from https://www.essentiallysports.com/about [2] Mistry, N. (2021, February 1). EssentiallySports: The Rise and Rise of the Sports Publisher. Retrieved from https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/infochooze/essentiallysports-the-rise-and-rise-of-the-sports-publisher/article34141345.ece [3] EssentiallySports. (n.d.). Press Kit. Retrieved from https://www.essentiallysports.com/press-kit
- The founders of EssentiallySports, with a vision to revolutionize sports journalism, focused on sports with highly engaged but underserved fanbases like tennis and Formula 1, thus establishing a unique strategy.
- EssentiallySports was drawing more tennis traffic than the official ATP site by 2017, signaling the initial success of their strategy.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, as many traditional media organizations scaled back coverage, EssentiallySports expanded its team, maintained a rigorous publishing schedule, and responded to increased fan demand for in-depth content, documentaries, and sports-analysis.
- The platform's content included thematic explorations of leadership in popular sports documentaries, appealing to a devoted subset of sports fans who care deeply about more than mainstream sports coverage.
- As a result of their multi-pronged, community-focused strategy, EssentiallySports grew to engage over 30 million monthly readers on its website and over 1 million newsletter subscribers daily.
- EssentiallySports has also made strides in women's sports, with their dedicated vertical seeing success, such as newsletters like "She Got Game" now exceeding 100,000 subscribers.
- In golf, consistent coverage helped EssentiallySports build a subscriber base that doubled industry averages, while their coverage of series like "The Last Dance" analyzed broader themes such as leadership in sports and its relevance in business, further broadening their appeal.
