NY Times pulls back on partnering The Athletic with Kalshi in wake of union pushback: report

The Athletic has reportedly abandoned plans for a sports betting or prediction-market partnership with Kalshi in the wake of unionized staffers’ pushback.The New York Times-owned sports outlet remains in talks with Kalshi about possible advertising and “other commercial opportunities,” Front Office Sports reported this week, citing a source familiar with the matter.Unionized Times workers had publicly urged management to reject any agreement extending beyond conventional advertising, warning that integrating Kalshi’s products into The Athletic’s journalism could cause readers to question its editorial independence.A source familiar with the matter told Front Office Sports that the union’s objections played no role in The Athletic’s decision to drop the sports betting or prediction-market tie-up.“Any partnership between Kalshi and The Athletic would threaten our journalistic independence across the company,” the workers said in a letter obtained by the outlet.The union letter noted the Times has reported on New York officials characterizing Kalshi as an “illegal operation.”“Despite management’s claim that The Athletic and The New York Times are separate business entities, the journalism and the work are intertwined, as any reader can see,” the letter stated.The letter was unanimously approved by the Times Guild Unit Council and The Athletic’s contract action team and sent to Times owner and publisher AG Sulzberger, Athletic publisher David Perpich and senior editors at The Athletic and its parent company, according to FOS.“The letter did not prompt or play any role in it,” a source told FOS, adding that several Athletic staffers had been informed of the decision “a few days ago.”The source said discussions between The Athletic and Kalshi had “evolved over time.”FOS reported last month that The Athletic and Kalshi were in advanced talks over a potential sponsorship agreement.Kalshi has been aggressively expanding its footprint...