Fox Corp. is restructuring its sports commentary website Outkick following the departure of its founder, Clay Travis, who left the platform in June to launch a competing site. Fox purchased Outkick in 2021 and had heavily promoted Travis, a conservative commentator known for his provocative style, across its media properties. Travis remains affiliated with Fox through his show on Fox Sports Interactive (FSI) and appearances on Fox News.
Since integrating Outkick into the digital wing of Fox News in June, the company has revamped the site’s branding and editorial focus. An updated logo and a new tagline emphasizing the convergence of “sports and culture” were introduced in August. According to a Fox spokesperson citing Comscore data, Outkick experienced a 19 percent increase in traffic that month.
Tommy Firth, Fox News Digital’s executive vice president for editorial, stated that the relaunch aims to attract sports fans interested in coverage from a perspective distinct from mainstream outlets, blending “funny irreverence” with commentary. The site plans to broaden its sports coverage beyond traditional professional leagues like football, basketball, baseball, and hockey, to include wrestling, hunting, fishing, and college athletics.
Outkick is also expanding its editorial team. It is expected to announce the hire of Matt Calkins, a former columnist for The Seattle Times who resigned this summer following the newspaper’s refusal to publish his column on transgender athletes in women’s sports. Calkins’s previous writings address intersections of sports, politics, and culture, and he said he chose Outkick for greater editorial freedom. A spokesperson for The Seattle Times did not respond to requests for comment.
In addition, Fox recently brought in Craig Carton, a New York drive-time radio host, to develop a sports and culture program for Outkick. Firth outlined the strategy to address the increasingly intertwined nature of sports, culture, and politics, describing the content as reflecting “one big frothy mix.”
The move reflects broader media trends, with sports content playing a pivotal role in viewership and reader engagement. Major outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and The New York Times—which acquired sports media company The Athletic in 2022 for $550 million—have been investing more heavily in sports journalism.
While Travis has left Outkick, he continues to support the brand and maintains a presence on Fox platforms. His new venture, Sport & State, employs a distinct business model involving ownership stakes in various promoted companies such as a law firm and mortgage lender.
Overall, Fox’s relaunch of Outkick underscores the company’s commitment to expanding its sports media footprint by embracing a blend of cultural commentary and sports coverage aimed at attracting a diverse, engaged audience in an increasingly competitive market.