Newspapers have long included games like crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and word searches. The New York Times has greatly expanded its digital gaming offerings over the past decade, introducing original games such as The Mini Crossword, Spelling Bee, Letter Boxed, and Tiles, alongside its iconic crossword in 2014. To further establish its role as a leading gaming destination, it later acquired Wordle, Connections, and Strands.
Now, The Athletic, acquired by the Times in January 2022, has launched its first daily game: Connections: Sports Edition. This game is based on the standard Connections, which boasts tens of millions of daily players and was the most-searched game on Google last year. Each daily puzzle presents players with a grid of 16 sports-related terms, challenging them to group them into four sets of four, allowing for a maximum of four mistakes, and they can play at their leisure or with a timer for added competition.
Connections: Sports Edition has been in beta since last spring and officially launched around the Super Bowl. Mark Cooper, The Athletic’s managing editor for news and now its puzzle editor, mentioned that he became involved shortly after the idea for a sports version was conceived, considering it an excellent combination. He stated, “The flagship Connections game is incredibly fun; it’s my morning ritual. We’ve seen how popular this format has become with players.” He added, “Sports fans are competitive and love games, with many overlapping terms and statistics that make building sports game boards intuitive.”
This is awesome 👀👀👀
The other big game is HERE.
Introducing Connections: Sports Edition — a brand-new spin-off to test your sports knowledge.https://t.co/t1unS8cjPa
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) February 9, 2025
While games have traditionally been part of print media, the foray of digital media companies into gaming is less common. Cooper views the game as a valuable addition for subscribers, enhancing The Athletic’s overall offering. He explained, “Our readers come for in-depth features and breaking news, so a daily game they can enjoy before diving into their favorite team’s updates adds to the overall package.”
Cooper shared that the game underwent extensive internal testing and a wider beta phase, during which he created nearly 150 daily puzzles. He recalled, “Initially, I made five tester games, and they seemed fun. The question became how to scale from five to 60 while evaluating player engagement.” Feedback from internal testers helped refine the game’s difficulty and enjoyment level before launch.
With the official launch came new features, including a timer option in Connections: Sports Edition. “I love the competitive aspect,” Cooper mentioned, believing it resonates with sports fans. He finds himself subconsciously looking for patterns and groupings in his reading, inspired by the game. For instance, he uses terms like Red Auerbach to illustrate how versatile phrases can fit into multiple categories.
Cooper noted that while Connections: Sports Edition isn’t designed for education, it could impart knowledge. “The flagship version is a word game, but the sports version has more trivia elements. Each day, we aim to incorporate categories with a trivia component, offering players a chance to learn something new, even if they struggle with one category,” he explained. He emphasized the benefit of tying the game to current sports events, highlighting past categories related to the College Football Playoff and Super Bowl, which help players pick up facts in real-time.
Overall, Cooper is optimistic that Connections: Sports Edition will engage players and encourage deeper exploration of The Athletic’s content. He concluded, “I envision games as a daily habit, providing a fun break. Spending a few minutes each morning with this game can lead readers to engage with our articles more deeply and start their day with The Pulse, our morning newsletter, before moving on to other content.”
