Sports Politika is 3 years old
What comes next?
Welcome to Sports Politika, a media venture founded by investigative journalist and researcher Karim Zidan that strives to help you understand how sports and politics shape the world around us. My mission is to offer an independent platform for accessible journalism that raises awareness and empowers understanding.
If you share this vision, please consider supporting my work by joining becoming a paid subscriber. We are currently offering 60% off annual subscriptions to celebrate Sports Politika’s third anniversary. Don’t miss out!
When I first decided to launch my own media platform three years ago, my life was in a very different place. I had just lost my longtime job as an investigative journalist for Bloody Elbow when VOX Media decided to shutter the site as part of its downsizing efforts. I was burning through my savings trying to stay afloat as a freelancer at a time when sports journalism as a whole was being made redundant. I made the front page of the New York Times with one of my biggest scoops, only to watch in shock as the paper of record shuttered its century-old sports section just two weeks later. It was a difficult, frustrating period with seemingly no end in sight.
Then came Sports Politika.
Upon launch, thousands of you subscribed and I quickly amassed enough paid subscribers to warrant the time and effort I planned to dedicate to the site. I became obsessed, building on years of research and a unique lived experience to establish the biggest platform dedicated solely to the intersection of sports, power and politics. This isn’t hyperbole—it is a fact.
Over the past three years, I have published nearly 400 articles—investigations, longforms, essays, personal reflections, and narrative podcasts—covering more than a dozen sports across five continents. I’ve covered everything from MMA to surfing, hockey to track and field, and chess to tennis, taking readers on a kaleidoscopic journey across strange lands and even stranger politics. I wrote about how the world’s “coolest dictator” wants you to surf in El Salvador, and the incredible tale of the Norwegian footballer who stole The Scream; I covered China’s fighting robots, the Hindu nationalists weaponizing yoga, and how misogynist and alleged sex trafficker Andrew Tate profits off Islam and MMA.
I investigated how Saudi Arabia bought Messi’s silence; the role of Brazilian jiu-jitsu in shaping the UAE’s national identity; how football emerged as a battleground between political aspirations and popular dreams in Morocco, and wrote at length about the football fans who shaped Egypt’s Jan. 25 revolution. I shed light on the outsized role that MMA plays in American politics, writing on topics such as how the UFC helped get Donald Trump elected, the MMA fighter who joined the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, the rise of fascist fight clubs, the cagefighter who now runs ICE, and the propaganda spectacle known as the UFC White House event.
It goes without saying that none of this reporting would have been possible without the generous support of my loyal subscribers. You’ve helped me establish my own independent space to continue to build on my work and, for that, I am eternally grateful. The newsletter has been cited in major outlets, academic articles, and on podcasts. I have also represented the outlet as major conferences around the world, as well as a guest lecturer at colleges such as the University of Michigan, the University of British Columbia, among others.
The revenue generated from this newsletter has also allowed me to achieve one of my major goals when starting this venture: paying guest writers to tell compelling and important stories that would otherwise never find a home—stories like this look inside the Saudi-backed lobbying effort to reshape boxing; a day in the life of a footballer in Gaza; and this story about how Ultimate Frisbee players are mounting protests against Israel’s participation, bolstered by IDF soldiers on the roster. These stories are only possible with your support.
And yet, 2026 has been an especially difficult year for Sports Politika. The site has lost more than 50 paid subscribers since the start of the year—an unprecedented rate that speaks volumes about the state of the world at the moment. From rising inflation and stagnant wages to economic instability as a result of lopsided tariffs and ongoing wars, times are tough for most people. Several of you who did cancel paid subscriptions included notes about how you had recently been laid off or were struggling to make ends meet. Others complained that I wasn’t publishing enough articles to make it worth the cost. Fair enough; I’ve been focused on completing the manuscript of my debut book and haven’t been publishing more than once a week. For some, that isn’t worth the $5, and that’s fine. Those of you who remained, however, are the reason this site is still alive.
With that being said, I have no plans to shutter Sports Politika. In fact, I intend to double down over the coming months. Expect a new narrative podcast series in May 2026, more guest contributions, wall-to-wall coverage of the 2026 World Cup, investigative reporting, and exclusive content from my new book.
In order to achieve this, I must call on you, my able-and-willing subscribers, to continue supporting this unique platform, especially at a time when sports have become a cornerstone of statecraft and authoritarian ambitions. Unlike other more established outlets, Sports Politika is entirely independent; no government grants, no billionaire backers—just a contingent of concerned sports fans with a couple of dollars to spare.
To sweeten the deal, I am offering a lifetime 60% discount on annual subscriptions, which means that subscribers will gain full access to Sports Politika for a little more than $2/per month. The offer is limited to 20 subscribers so make sure to secure your spot!
Running Sports Politika has been one of the great joys of my professional career. After years of working for other organizations, it’s been deeply cathartic to build something that’s entirely my own, supported by subscribers who genuinely care about the work.
Here’s to the next three years.
-Karim
Sports Politika is a media platform dedicated to the intersection of sports, power and politics. If you like what you see, upgrade to a paid subscription ( or gift a subscription if you already have your own). We would appreciate if you could also like the post and let us know what you think in the comment section below.
Loved the last podcast with the Jordanian guy. Fucking insane life the guy led. I hope he gets some pay off for fighting the good fight in the coming years.
Ok link didn’t work for me but I went to the annual anyway. Day 1 sports politika guy! I’m so happy to hear you’ve been making these bad ass strides. This work is so worth it. Also been busy Myself with an MA so congrats on your book! I will buy it now.