The Pulse

About The Pulse

The Pulse is a free daily sports newsletter published by The Athletic, a subscription-based sports journalism department of The New York Times. Written by Chris Branch, a senior writer at The Athletic, the newsletter delivers the top stories in sports directly to subscribers' inboxes each morning from Sunday through Friday. The Pulse covers major developments across professional and college sports, providing readers with a curated daily briefing that guides them through the most important sports news and storylines.

The newsletter has experienced significant growth since its launch, reaching 2.4 million subscribers by April 2024 and growing to more than 3.5 million subscribers by May 2025. The Pulse accounts for the majority of The Athletic's total newsletter subscriber base, which surpassed 5 million subscribers in early 2025 and is expected to exceed 6 million by mid-2025. The Athletic has expanded its newsletter offerings beyond The Pulse to include sport-specific publications covering football, basketball, soccer, baseball, racing, and hockey. The success of The Pulse has contributed to The Athletic's financial turnaround, with the publication posting operating profits and nearly 30% year-over-year revenue growth in late 2024.