Dragon Sports Media Limited · Sports Content Network

Create Sports content for one of the UK's newest networks.

We commission freelance sports journalists, photographers and videographers across a growing portfolio of editorial sites. Set your rates and capacity. We'll send work that fits.

About us

A growing network of sport-specific editorial sites.

Dragon Team is the contributor hub for Dragon Sports Media Limited. The group runs a portfolio of independently branded editorial sites covering football, horse racing, boxing, motorsport, rugby, cricket and more.

We pay fairly, brief clearly, and stay out of the way. No retainers. No exclusivity. No chasing emails. The dashboard tells you everything you need to know about where you stand.

13
Sport sectors
15
Sites in the network
30
Day payment terms

How contributor tiers work

More in the FAQs →
02
Contributor
Tier 2

Experienced writers who consistently deliver quality work. The core of our network.

  • Standard per-piece rates
  • Access to most briefs across the network
  • Eligible for the promotion bonus scheme
  • Proven portfolio in your sector
03
Emerging Contributor
Tier 3

Talented writers earlier in their career or building specialist knowledge.

  • Lower rates while you build a portfolio
  • Clear path to Tier 2 in 6–10 commissions
  • Same dashboard, same support
  • Open to first-time freelancers

Tier is set by our editorial team when we approve your application. You can move up over time. Apply at whatever level feels right. We’ll place you fairly.

What we commission

Start applying →

Sports we cover

  • Football (Premier League, EFL, scouting)
  • Horse racing
  • Boxing & combat sports
  • Motorsport (F1, MotoGP)
  • Rugby
  • Cricket
  • Tennis
  • Golf

Apply with one sector or several. We match briefs to whoever fits.

Formats we accept

  • Writing: features, previews, match reports, analysis, opinion
  • Photography: matchday, portraits, behind the scenes
  • Video: short-form social, longform features, interviews
  • Data & stats: deep dives, weekly packages
  • Podcasting: episode hosts, regular contributors
  • Social: feed content, threads, reels

Pick all that apply on the form. Multi-format contributors are welcome.

Strong fit for the network

  • Specialist knowledge of a sport, even if your portfolio is modest
  • A clear point of view and a distinct voice
  • Track record of meeting deadlines, even on smaller outlets
  • An audience you actively engage with on social
  • Comfortable writing under independent network brands

Probably not a fit

  • Generalists covering five sports at surface level
  • Aggregators rewriting press releases or other outlets’ copy
  • Tipsters without journalism craft behind the tips
  • Anyone primarily using AI to draft full pieces
  • Pure SEO writers chasing keywords, not stories

Common questions

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How do performance bonuses work?

Every published piece can earn bonuses on top of your agreed fee. There are three, and you control two of them.

Click bonus

Each published article gets a personal tracked share link. Unique clicks through your link earn:

  • 1,000 unique clicks: £25
  • 3,000 unique clicks: £50
  • 6,000 unique clicks: £100

Only clicks through your own link count, so this rewards the marketing you do yourself: your social accounts, your newsletter, communities you’re genuinely part of. One ask: respect each platform’s rules on self-promotion. Burning a community’s goodwill to chase clicks hurts you and us.

Dwell bonus

Pieces that hold readers earn more. Based on the article’s average engagement time, on any piece with at least 1,000 reads in the month:

  • 1:30 average read: £15
  • 2:30 average read: £30
  • 4:00 average read: £50

Editor’s Pick

£100, awarded once a month across the network for craft. Metrics don’t enter into it.

The fine print

The highest tier reached is the one paid (tiers don’t stack within a bonus type, but click, dwell and Editor’s Pick can all be earned on the same piece). The scheme is reviewed quarterly, and a piece is always paid under the scheme that was live when it was published. Worked example: a £100 commission that averages a 4:00 read on 1,000+ views and drives 6,000 clicks through your link pays £250, and £350 if it takes the Editor’s Pick that month.

Which sports do you commission in?

Across the network we cover:

  • Football: Premier League, EFL, scouting and data pieces
  • Horse racing
  • Boxing and combat sports
  • Motorsport: F1 and MotoGP
  • Rugby
  • Cricket
  • Tennis
  • Basketball
  • Golf

You can apply with one sector or several. We match each brief to whoever fits the sport, format and rate. Pick all the sectors you genuinely cover on the apply form, not just the ones where you’d take any work.

What formats do you commission besides writing?

We commission across six formats. Multi-format contributors are welcome and often the most valuable:

  • Writing: features, previews, match reports, analysis, opinion pieces
  • Photography: matchday, portraits, behind the scenes, training shots
  • Video: short-form social content, longform features, interview formats
  • Data and stats: deep dives, weekly packages, infographic-led pieces
  • Podcasting: episode hosts, regular contributors, interview guests
  • Social: feed content, threads, reels, dedicated social campaigns

On the apply form tick every format you’re comfortable delivering at a professional standard.

Who isn't a good fit for the network?

Plain honest: we say no to a lot of applications. The ones that don’t land tend to share a few patterns.

  • Generalists covering five sports at surface level. Specialist depth wins us briefs against bigger publishers. Generalism doesn’t.
  • Aggregators rewriting press releases or other outlets’ copy. We pay for original reporting, not summaries.
  • Tipsters without journalism craft behind the tips. Betting picks aren’t what we commission. Sports journalism is.
  • Anyone using AI to draft full pieces. We run plagiarism and AI detection on submissions. Pieces flagged as machine-generated get rejected.
  • Pure SEO writers chasing keywords, not stories. The network’s authority comes from craft, not search-engine hacks.

If you recognise yourself in this list, save us both the time. If you’re certain you’re none of these things, apply confidently.

How long does the approval process take?

We aim to review every application within 2 weeks of submission. During busy intake periods (like our initial launch) it can take a little longer.

Your dashboard shows your current status. We don’t send chasing emails because the dashboard is always up to date.

How do contributor tiers work?

Approved contributors fall into one of three tiers, set by our editorial team during application review:

Tier 1: Lead Contributors. Established writers with a proven editorial track record and a significant social following (typically 10k+ engaged on a relevant platform). Top per-piece rates, first refusal on premium briefs, and the highest tier of the article-promotion bonus scheme.

Tier 2: Contributors. Experienced writers who consistently deliver quality work. Standard per-piece rates, access to most briefs across the network, eligible for the standard promotion bonus.

Tier 3: Emerging Contributors. Talented writers earlier in their career or building specialist knowledge. Lower per-piece rates while you build a portfolio with us. Clear path to Tier 2 after 6–10 quality commissions.

You don’t choose your tier on the apply form. We place you fairly based on your portfolio, track record and social presence. Tiers can move up over time. You’ll see your current tier on your dashboard.

Ready to write for us?

Five minutes to apply. Add your sectors, rates and a couple of portfolio links. We'll review within two weeks.

Apply now