Neil’s Substack
Investor Due Diligence Report
by Neil Paine
substackSports
Analytical but narrative -- blending the past and future of sportswriting.
12K
1.2K paid
~0%
Subscriber count is a platform estimate
Pricing
$6/mo
$60/yr annual option
$6K
1.2K paid subs
$6K/mo – $6K/mo(±0%)
0.7
16.6
0.14%
(comments + likes) / subscribers
Daily
6.6 posts/week
80/100
Very Consistent (~1.4d avg)
| Newsletter | Subscribers | Weekly Growth | Price | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Culture of Sport | 180K | N/A | $13/mo | substack |
| The Long Game | 14K | N/A | $6/mo | substack |
| The Dumb Zone | 10K | N/A | $9.6/mo | substack |
| Hockey Tactics Newsletter | 9K | N/A | $25/mo | substack |
| Month | Subscribers | Est. Revenue | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2026 | 12K | $5,724 | — |
| Mar 2026 | 12K | $5,724 | ~0% |
| Apr 2026 | 12K | $5,724 | ~0% |
Platform Dependency
Hosted on substack subdomain
Publishing Consistency
Regular publishing schedule
Key Person
Single-author publication — key-person dependency
Audience Concentration
Some posts outperform significantly
Subscriber threshold
12K subscribers — above the 2K category median for first paid tier
Has paid tier
Active paid subscription offering
Peer monetization
100% of 39 similar-size peers in Sports have paid tiers
Pricing position
$6/mo vs $5/mo category median (507 newsletters)
| Date | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | $6 | $60 |
Disclaimer: This report is generated automatically based on publicly available data and proprietary estimation models. Estimated subscriber counts are derived from engagement patterns and should be verified through direct disclosure. Revenue estimates are based on known pricing and estimated paid subscriber counts. This report is for informational purposes only and should not be the sole basis for investment decisions.
Score based on available components only.
| Component | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement Rate | 57/100 | 30% |
| Paid Subscriber Ratio | 90/100 | 25% |
| Publishing Consistency | 28/100 | 10% |
| Half Court Hoops - Coach's Cut |
| 8K |
| N/A |
| $10/mo |
| substack |
Revenue Model
Active paid subscription tier