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How to Cancel The Athletic

Last verified: 2026-03-24

Official The Athletic PolicyVerified

theathletic.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000389707-How-do-I-cancel-my-subscription

Summary

You can cancel The Athletic via Website (theathletic.com/settings/subscriptions) or iOS App Store (if purchased via Apple) or Google Play Store (if purchased via Google) or Phone (1-800-698-4637 — for NYT bundle subscribers). No prorated refunds for standalone Athletic subscriptions — payments are nonrefundable with no credits for partially used billing periods. Exceptions may apply if you cannot access The Athletic due to a technical issue, were charged without authorization, or cancel within 24 hours of signing up. For NYT bundle subscribers, refund terms follow New York Times subscription policies.. Steps: Go to theathletic.com/settings/subscriptions and sign in to your account.. Click 'Cancel subscription' on the subscription management page..

Cancel Via

Website (theathletic.com/settings/subscriptions), iOS App Store (if purchased via Apple), Google Play Store (if purchased via Google), Phone (1-800-698-4637 — for NYT bundle subscribers)

Refund Eligibility

No prorated refunds for standalone Athletic subscriptions — payments are nonrefundable with no credits for partially used billing periods. Exceptions may apply if you cannot access The Athletic due to a technical issue, were charged without authorization, or cancel within 24 hours of signing up. For NYT bundle subscribers, refund terms follow New York Times subscription policies.

How to Cancel — Step by Step

  1. 1Go to theathletic.com/settings/subscriptions and sign in to your account.
  2. 2Click 'Cancel subscription' on the subscription management page.
  3. 3The Athletic will present retention offers and discounts — decline each one if you want to proceed with cancellation.
  4. 4Confirm your cancellation — you retain full access to The Athletic until the end of your current billing period.
  5. 5If you subscribed through the Apple App Store: go to iPhone Settings → [Your Name] → Subscriptions → The Athletic → Cancel Subscription.
  6. 6If you subscribed through Google Play: open Play Store → profile icon → Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions → The Athletic → Cancel.
  7. 7For NYT All Access or News + Athletic bundle subscribers: call 1-800-698-4637 to downgrade your plan or cancel entirely, or go to myaccount.nytimes.com.

Billed Through a Third Party?

  • If your subscription page says 'managed by Apple' or 'managed by Google,' you must cancel through that platform — canceling on The Athletic website will not stop those charges.
  • NYT bundle subscribers (All Access, News + Athletic): canceling The Athletic means canceling the entire NYT subscription or calling 1-800-698-4637 to downgrade to a plan without The Athletic.
  • Some university and library programs provide free access to The Athletic through NYT Academic passes — these do not require cancellation.
  • If you subscribed through a promotional partner or corporate subscription, contact that provider to cancel.

Reactivating Your Account

  • You can resubscribe at any time at theathletic.com — however, if you were on a promotional rate, you will likely pay full price upon resubscription.
  • Your saved articles, team preferences, and reading history are preserved after cancellation.
  • After cancellation, you can still log in, but articles will be paywalled.

Additional Notes

  • Standalone Athletic subscription: $8.99/month at full price; promotional rates (e.g., $1/month introductory offers) are common but revert to full price at renewal.
  • Annual standalone subscription: approximately $71.99/year ($5.99/month equivalent) when available.
  • NYT All Access bundle (includes The Athletic, NYT News, Games, Cooking, Wirecutter): pricing varies; typically $25/month at full price.
  • If you cancel a promotional-rate subscription, you cannot resubscribe at the old promotional price — you will pay the current standard rate.
  • The Athletic is owned by The New York Times (acquired January 2022) — billing and account management may involve NYT systems.
  • No phone support for standalone Athletic subscriptions — use the website or app. Phone support (1-800-698-4637) is available for NYT bundle subscribers.
  • The Athletic app is available on iOS and Android and provides offline reading for downloaded articles.
  • Customer support: theathletic.com/contact or through the app's Help section.