Sounder at Heart was founded in 2008, joined SB Nation about a year later and became an independent website in August 2023. In that time, the site has become the standard bearer for MLS team coverage through in-person reporting, informed opinion-writing and thoughtful analysis while building an inclusive community. As of Aug. 21, 2023, we are now a primarily reader-supported website which is also the home for Ride of the Valkyries as well as the Sounder at Heart podcast network, which includes Nos Audietis, Lobbing Scorchers and The Cooler Guild.
While most of our content will remain in front of the paywall, there are benefits to becoming a paid member beyond gaining access to all our written and audio content, the biggest of which is knowing that you are helping to support the most comprehensive independent coverage of the Sounders, Reign and other soccer teams in the Seattle area, while also keeping it free from programmatic ads that have greatly contributed to degrading the browsing experience.
Why we went independent
It is our belief that ad-supported media is reaching a tipping point. While we benefited from our time with SB Nation, the industry as a whole has long rewarded chasing scale at the cost of quality. Plus, ad overload is a thing that we hate as much as you do. Related to this is the idea that media is big business where valuations often reach into the billions. We are removing ourselves from this cycle.
We fully intend to remain the most-read independent site covering North American soccer, but by becoming reader-supported we believe we can focus on quality over scale. The content we write will be the content you want to read. This is also why we resisted the urge to bring on investors who would be primarily focused on turning the site for a big profit. Our only investors will be readers and sponsors who share our vision and ideals. All revenue we generate will go directly toward supporting our editorial efforts and strengthening our coverage.
New ways to receive content
In addition to the website and podcasts, we now also offer a newsletter service. Once you become a member, you can opt in to however much content you want to receive, with a range options from updates every time we publish to much more limited cadences or even none at all. We have also expanded our podcast platform that now includes weekly episodes of Nos Audietis, Lobbing Scorchers and The Cooler Guild that publishes 2-4 times a week and offers breakdowns of recent Sounders and Reign matches, answers listener questions, interviews the biggest names in the sport and gives insight into upcoming opponents.
Embrace your community
Everyone is encouraged to join our community of commenters but we also offer access to an even more intimate and engaged community with our new Discord server that’s available to “Supporters” and above. If you don’t feel as though you can become a paid supporter, you can still help us by sharing our content far and wide, telling your friends and family about what we’re doing, listening to our podcasts and checking out our merch table.
A beacon of hope
Not to be too dramatic, but in this time of ever-consolidating media offerings – especially for niche coverage like domestic soccer – it is our intention to be a model and a beacon of hope for others. If you're a fan of another team and feel like you have something to offer, we'd be happy to share our insight into what we've learned over the years and how we are making this happen.
Thank you and remember, You'll Never Yacht Alone.
Contact us
Editorial inquiries
Sponsorship inquiries
Technical assistance
Story submissions
These organizations, companies and individuals have gone above and beyond to support independent soccer media.
Sponsors
Full Pull Wines recently expanded their sponsorship from the podcast to the site as well. They are a boutique wines reseller that has been sponsoring us since 2011. You can join their mailing list here.
Benefactors
These readers have gone above and beyond to support our efforts and we gave them each an opportunity to share why they chose to do that as well as a bit about themselves.
Nick Peyton: I have been a Sounders season ticket holder since 2009 and truly fell in love with the Sounders at the 2009 US Open Cup game vs Houston when zombie/Civil War Nate Jaqua scored in the 89th minute to send it to extra time. I am a Benefactor to Sounder at Heart because I believe that what the team at Sounder at Heart has done is truly unique, special, and has enhanced my Sounders support more than I can express in words. The content is solid, thoughtful, and I have enjoyed getting a deeper insight and access to a team that I love. When not rooting for the Sounders, I am a fundraiser at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and part-time, part-time wine help at Full Pull Wines.
Chris Weber – Chris loves the Sounders, and lovse independent journalism almost as much, if not more. He cajoled his parents into letting him go to a Sounders match in 2004 and the rest is history. His favorite Sounder is impossible to determine, but he has a deep appreciation in particular for Roger Levesque. He'd like you to take a look at what Rave Foundation is doing and see if you feel like he does about trying to give kids around this place better fields than he grew up playing on.
JP Nicols – I just want to support ECS Pub League so you can tag ecspubleague.org. Description is “Beginner-friendly adult soccer. Bring your C game.” Let me know if you need more.
Jeremy Alexander – 10 (MOTM) | Community – 10 (MOTM)
It’s so great to have JA as a benefactor. The benefactors showed not only their MVP-caliber support, but also how easy it is to keep SaH’s unparalleled content elite and independent. While filling up the stat sheet, their presence allowed SaH 3.0 to be more aggressive through migration and re-launch. Combining cleanly with all of our fan membership options, this clutch group roamed around creating opportunities for world-class team coverage, smoothly playing off each other, and sending positive vibes to the content staff. This is as active a reader-supported community as we may have ever had, and it is anchored by SaH 3.0’s benefactors.
One thing I liked: SaH 3.0’s benefactors are all DEALIN’. The amount of diversity in Seattle pro sports support is incredibly exciting. Sounders? Check. OL Reign? Check. Kraken? Check. Seahawks? Check. Mariners? Check. Storm? Check. Seawolves? Check. Orcas? Check. Signing up for a membership ensures that Seattle fan rep will just be better than anything else across Cascadia.
One thing I didn’t like: SaH 3.0 doesn’t have gift subscriptions?
Going forward: The most exciting revelation from SaH 3.0 becoming independent and reader-supported was seeing how easy signing up for membership can be. This is the kind of fan support that creates an unparalleled site. The topics, match preparations, ratings, and content creativity are all phenomenal. The intensity and willingness of our benefactors bodes well for a site that will continue to be a dominant force.
James Bacon: Varsity Head Coach, Sunnyslope HS Girls Soccer, Phoenix, AZ.
Sounders fan since '74. I have been a long time SAH lurker, and have read every article and comment since 2014 without posting a comment myself. Now was the perfect time to participate in the community that thrives at SAH by putting a value to the connectedness that his site brings to me. Pre- and Post-game analysis, Interviews with FO, Coaches and players, Major Link Soccer, the added coverage of OL Reign, unofficially being one of June's Homies All of the comments plus my brother's reaction to them. Contributing at this level reflects that value. May SAH carry on for many more years.
Edward Bushnell, Jr.: Proud Seattle native, now in SoCal. Grew up playing soccer, including 1.5 years with Seattle United around when they first chartered (~2010). A dedicated player and aspiring coach. I am supporting Sounder At Heart as a benefactor to give back and ensure fellow fans keep enjoying top-notch content. Let's keep the PNW soccer spirit alive!
Sean Sullivan: I played soccer growing up through high school but never made varsity. I remember reading about the original MLS clubs like the Burn & Mutiny in Sports Illustrated for Kids and had USMNT national team posters on the wall. I moved to Seattle in 2007 just in time for the team's founding and their inaugural MLS season a couple years later. While I'm rarely in the stadium, I follow the team closely through SaH. It was great for those early seasons to blow away expectations and invent so much in MLS. Zach Scott was my favorite player all the way through his retirement and his testimonial match was so much fun to be at. I've also been a Reign fan from year 1 and have probably been to more Reign matches than Sounders. The amount of world-class talent on the Reign has always amazed me. I've watched them win and lose at Starfire, Memorial, Cheney, and now in Lumen. I take my daughters to see them when I can fit in a match. Through all that time, SaH has been there providing better coverage for both teams than I would find anywhere else with a unique voice and a passionate community. You get me through the heartbreaks of cups lost and magnify the joy of shields won. I got lucky during the pandemic, so when I heard about charting your own course and separating from SB Nation, I could afford to support this organization. Local media of all kinds is struggling, and this is one way I can help support something I love and that make a difference in a way that only sports can.