Few podcasts, if any, have generated as many headlines this year as Pablo Torre Finds Out.
And now the Meadowlark Media property has a new home via a licensing deal with The Athletic.
Dan Le Batard made the announcement in a video posted to his X account on Tuesday morning. Of course, a simple press release wouldn’t suffice, as the Meadowlark Media co-founder revealed the news with a skit in which he pretended to be speaking from the future.
“I guess I should inform you, I’m joining you now from the future. It was an amazing thing Meadowlark was able to do back in the first week of August 2025 when Pablo Torre Finds Out teamed up with The Athletic,” Le Batard says in the video, in which he can be seen reading a copy of The New York Times. “We were all able to create the future of sports journalism, the future of sports podcasting and a machine that Meadowlark still owns that allows me to make this announcement here [on] August 17th of 2043.
“And in the future, they were right. The first week of August back in 2025 when Pablo Torre Finds Out joined The Athletic and all parties involved replaced what used to be HBO Real Sports, what used to be Outside The Lines; real traditional sports journalism. The Athletic got in bed with Pablo Torre and what they birthed was the future of sports journalism. Thanks to all involved with doing that, for creating the riches that are our time machine. And also, I am surprised as you are that in the future, the newspaper is still being read by people.”
Non-traditional announcement aside, Pablo Torre Finds Out is, in fact, joining The Athletic via a licensing agreement, while also remaining a member of the Meadowlark Media family. When Meadowlark reupped its own licensing deal with DraftKings earlier this year, PTFO wasn’t a part of it, as Torre had been averse to partnering with a sportsbook sponsor due to potential conflicts of interest.
As such, The Athletic appears to be an ideal home, as both entities have established commitments to the “real traditional sports journalism” that Le Batard referenced in the announcement. In recent months, PTFO has received no shortage of attention and accolades, thanks to Torre’s reporting on matters such as conflicts of interest within the NFLPA, NBA gambling scandals, and, of course, Bill Belichick’s relationship with Jordon Hudson.
For The Athletic, this appears to be a part of a new strategy in which the New York Times-owned outlet will rely more heavily on licensing agreements in the podcasting space. In addition to PTFO, The Sports Gossip Show — which is hosted by Madeline Hill and ex-Meadowlark Media personality Charlotte Wilder — also announced that it is joining The Athletic Podcast Network on Tuesday.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.