10 sites we love for slam dunk coverage of the latest sports news

The media landscape has shifted from print-oriented to an online-first focus. This shift has changed the way consumers and journalists receive information, including sports news.

Online-only sports publications are growing in popularity, and the demand for around-the-clock coverage continues to grow.

With football gearing up and basketball season rapidly approaching, here’s a look at the top 10 sports news sites.

1. The Players’ Tribune

The Player’s Tribune, founded by former professional baseball player Derek Jeter, is distinct in the fact the stories are written by athletes rather than members of the media. This perspective gives readers great insight into the life of a professional or former professional athlete.

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2. Bleacher Report

Bleacher Report was founded in 2007 and steadily has grown in popularity ever since. Bleacher Report was the third most visited sports site in July 2017, according to eBizMBA Rank.

The site’s extensive multimedia content and well-rounded coverage of all major sports separates it from the pack.

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3. FanSided

FanSided is similar to Bleacher Report — a site built around a strong network of full-time and freelance writers with strong visual content. A lot of its content is opinionated, instead of hard breaking news.

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4. RantSports

A majority of the stories posted on RantSports include a video, which is becoming more common in the overall media landscape. The site features a “Fresh and Rantable” section loaded with new video content and a “What’s Trending” section with stories that are buzzing on social media.

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5. Yahoo! Sports

Yahoo! Sports consistently ranks as one of the most-visited sports sites. The website focuses on breaking news and also is a popular destination for fantasy sports enthusiasts.

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6. ESPN

ESPN, the 24/7 sports news television station, also is a great online resource. Its commitment to around-the-clock coverage is just as prevalent online as it is on television. ESPN stands out as one of the top sources for breaking sports news.

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7. Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated stands out from the competition when it comes to detailed feature stories and compelling photography. The site features expert analysis, award-winning storytelling, and old stories from the “vault.” You also can access podcast episodes and news from other sites in its network, namely SI Kids and 120Sports.com.

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8. SBNation

SBNation, part of Vox Media, is similar to Bleacher Report, FanSided and RantSports when it comes to the type of stories covered and overall aesthetically-pleasing web design. Like those sites, SBNation also focuses on feature stories over breaking news and has a strong presence on social media, particularly on Twitter, where it has nearly 300,000 followers.

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9. CBS Sports

CBS Sports rivals NBC Sports and ESPN with its breaking sports news. Its homepage also features a banner that links to sister sites (247Sports, SportsLine and MaxPreps) as well as its fantasy sports page.

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10. NBC Sports

NBCSports.com puts a strong emphasis on videos on its website. Below the “Top Stories” section of its site is the “Top Videos” section, and most of its stories include video. Its running scoreboard at the top of the page stands out from the competition with large logos and legible font, which draws readers in.

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Anthony Vence is a Customer Content Specialist at PR Newswire. He contributes to @PRNmedia and previously worked in the newspaper industry as a news and sports editor. He also works as a freelance photographer.