How to Cancel The Athletic in 2026

To cancel The Athletic, sign in at theathletic.com/settings, open the Subscription section, and select Cancel Subscription. That works only if you paid The Athletic directly. If you signed up through the Apple App Store or Google Play, the website cannot stop it. You cancel through Apple or Google instead. Either way, you keep access until the end of the period you already paid for.

Short answer: Cancel where you actually pay. Web subscribers use theathletic.com/settings. App Store and Google Play subscribers cancel through Apple or Google. If your access came bundled with a New York Times All Access plan, you manage it inside your NYT account. Access runs to the end of the billing period, and there is no refund for unused time.

Last updated: June 2026.

Where is the cancel button actually hiding?

The cancel button is not in the reading app where you spend your time. The Athletic (now owned by The New York Times) puts cancellation in your account settings on the web, at theathletic.com/settings, under the Subscription heading. Plenty of people open the app, poke around, find nothing, and give up. That is the point of burying it.

Here is the detail that trips most people up. You have to cancel in the same place you signed up. If Apple or Google took your money, The Athletic cannot cancel for you, and the Cancel Subscription button on the website may be greyed out or missing. Cancel in the wrong place and the charge keeps coming.

One more thing worth stating plainly: The Athletic subscriptions are nonrefundable. Canceling stops the next charge, but you do not get money back for the part of the term you already paid. So there is no rush to cancel the second you decide. You keep full access until your renewal date.

How do I cancel The Athletic on the website?

Use this if you subscribed directly on theathletic.com and pay The Athletic (or The New York Times) by card. Takes about two minutes.

1. Go to theathletic.com/settings in any browser and log in with your account email.
2. Find the Subscription section on your account page.
3. Select Cancel Subscription.
4. Work through the retention screen. The Athletic will likely flash a discount offer, often a cheap annual rate, to keep you. If you actually want out, decline it and keep going.
5. Confirm the cancellation and watch for a confirmation email. If no email arrives, you are probably not done. Go back and finish.

Your account should now show the date access ends. Nothing changes until that date. Do this at least 24 hours before your renewal so the next charge does not slip through.

How do I cancel if Apple (App Store) billed me?

If you subscribed inside The Athletic iPhone or iPad app, Apple bills you, and only Apple can stop it. The website will not do it.

1. Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap your name at the top, then tap Subscriptions.
3. Choose The Athletic.
4. Tap Cancel Subscription. If you do not see a cancel option, the subscription is already set not to renew.

Apple's rule: cancel at least 24 hours before the renewal date to avoid being charged for the next cycle. You keep access until the current period ends.

How do I cancel on Google Play (Android)?

If you subscribed through the Android app, Google Play handles the billing.

1. Open the Google Play Store app.
2. Tap your profile icon, then Payments & subscriptions, then Subscriptions.
3. Select The Athletic.
4. Tap Cancel subscription and follow the prompts.

Same deadline idea: cancel before the renewal date. Access continues to the end of the paid period.

What if The Athletic came with my New York Times subscription?

The Athletic is owned by The New York Times and is sometimes included in an NYT All Access bundle. If you got The Athletic that way, there is no separate Athletic bill to cancel. You manage the whole thing in your NYT account at nytimes.com under account settings, or through whichever store billed you for the NYT bundle. Not sure how you got in? Check which company shows up on your card statement, then cancel with that company. Terms change, so confirm the current cancellation path on the provider's own site before you rely on these steps.

Will I get a refund when I cancel?

Usually not. The Athletic states subscriptions are nonrefundable, so canceling stops future charges but does not refund the unused portion of your term. Apple and Google run their own refund processes, and both decide case by case. If you were charged after you thought you canceled, or hit with a renewal you never agreed to, that is a different fight. See our guide on what to do when a company will not refund you, and if the charge is simply wrong, how to dispute a credit card charge with your bank.

Do the FTC's cancellation rules help me here?

Somewhat. The FTC's "click-to-cancel" rule was struck down by a federal appeals court in 2025, and in 2026 the FTC fell back on the older, narrower Negative Option Rule while it works on a replacement. Regulators still pursue companies that bury the cancel button or charge people without clear consent, using ROSCA and Section 5 of the FTC Act. A subscription that makes you hunt through settings to quit is exactly the pattern they dislike, even if no single rule forces one-click cancellation today. Always verify current terms on The Athletic's own site, because subscription terms change.

How can Karen cancel The Athletic for me?

If you would rather not log in, decline the loyalty offer, and chase a confirmation email, hand it to Karen. Karen is built to work cancellations, fight surprise charges, and keep pushing on your behalf. Tell Karen which account and what you want stopped, and she works the cancellation and goes after any disputed charge for you. Karen cannot guarantee a result, but she does the chasing so you do not have to.

Illustrative example. Results vary and are not guaranteed. Say The Athletic renews at roughly $71.99 for the year and you meant to cancel weeks ago. Stopping it before the next renewal date is what saves that charge. Miss the date and you are usually locked in for another term with no refund.

For more walkthroughs, see the cancellation hub, or related guides like canceling the Wall Street Journal, canceling the Washington Post, and canceling Spotify.

Common questions

Where do I cancel The Athletic? Cancel where you pay. Web subscribers go to theathletic.com/settings, open Subscription, and select Cancel Subscription. App Store subscribers cancel through iPhone Settings, and Google Play subscribers cancel in the Play Store.

Can I cancel The Athletic from the app? Not on the website side. If Apple or Google billed you, you cancel through Apple's Subscriptions settings or the Google Play Store. If The Athletic billed you directly, you cancel on the website, not inside the reading app.

Do I keep access after I cancel? Yes. You keep The Athletic until the end of the period you already paid for, then it stops. There is no refund for the unused portion, so no need to cancel the moment you decide.

Why am I still being charged after I canceled? You most likely canceled in the wrong place. If Apple or Google Play billed you but you only turned off renewal on the website (or the reverse), the charge keeps coming. Check your card statement to see who is billing you, then cancel with that provider.

Is The Athletic part of my New York Times subscription? It can be. The Athletic is owned by The New York Times and is sometimes bundled into NYT All Access. If so, manage it in your NYT account rather than a separate Athletic settings page. Confirm current terms with whichever provider bills you.