The New York Times and subscription sports news site The Athletic have ended their acquisition talks, according to people familiar with the matter.
The demise of the deal—which would have united one of media’s best known legacy brands with a respected up-and-comer—came down to money. The people familiar with the matter said the two companies couldn’t agree on a price. Another sticking point in the discussions revolved around how The Athletic employees would be compensated for the equity they hold in the company, one of the people said.