About Us
Powered by one of the largest global newsrooms in sports media, The Athletic brings sports fans the most comprehensive stories about the teams, sports and athletes they love. The Athletic’s newsroom of 450+ full-time staff delivers in-depth coverage of hundreds of professional and college teams across more than 47 North American markets and all 20 football clubs in the English Premier League, as well as many Championship clubs.
About the Role
The Athletic is accepting applications for its Leon H. Carter Internship Program for Summer 2026!
We are seeking an Ad Marketing Student Intern to join our team in support of the Strategy and Program Management functions for Summer 2026. The Ad Marketing team is the engine behind the custom advertising programs we build for brand partners. Strategy and Program Management work closely with Sales, Planning, Design, Creative, and Editorial teams to turn client briefs into smart, insight-led sponsorship ideas and polished proposals.
We’re looking for an Ad Marketing Student Intern who’s eager to learn how brands show up in sports culture and make an impact on our brand partnerships. You’ll learn how creative and media strategies come together, contribute to proposals, support advertiser programs, and build portfolio-worthy work.
Leon H. Carter is the Editor at Large at The Athletic. Prior to joining The Athletic in 2021, he was a VP at ESPN. He also worked 15 years at the NY Daily News. Under his leadership, the NYDN won numerous national awards. In 1993, he helped create the Sports Journalism Institute to improve diversity at media outlets. In 2022, he received the Red Smith Award, one of the highest honors in sports journalism.
The rate of pay for this role is $20.00 USD per hour.
The application deadline is November, 17, 2025.
What You'll Learn
- How sponsorship ideas are developed and pitched to major brands.
- How strategy, creative, program management, media planning, and sales work together within a modern media company.
- How to craft compelling stories and visually sharp presentations.
- How to work cross-functionally on real, deadline-driven campaigns.
- How to develop, price, and track programs and deliverables for client campaigns.
- How to engage sports talent for branded content programs.
- How to package your work for your professional portfolio.
Responsiblities
- Support proposal development by conducting client, industry, and audience research.
- Contribute to brainstorms and help shape creative ideas that bring sponsorships to life.
- Draft and compile proposal sections including trends, case studies, and background slides.
- Partner with Strategy and Design to ensure decks are clear, cohesive, and on deadline.
- Develop tools and templates to support and refine the proposal process and/or post-sale production process.
- Work on a capstone project like an RFP response or client presentation with support from Strategy.
- Gain exposure to the entire proposal strategy process: from sales brief to ideation and final pitch.
Requirements
- Rising junior, senior, or recent graduate with relevant coursework or experience in marketing, advertising, communications, journalism, or a related field.
- A strong interest in sports, media, and marketing.
- Excellent writing, research, and storytelling skills.
- Curious, collaborative, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, remote-first environment.
- Detail-oriented and organized, with strong presentation and communication skills.
- Proficient in Google Slides or PowerPoint (bonus: basic design sense or experience with Canva, Figma, or Adobe Creative Suite).
The Athletic Media Company is an equal opportunity employer and enthusiastically encourages people from all backgrounds and experiences to apply. The Athletic will consider all applicants without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
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