SB Nation

Does SB Nation actually pay their bloggers or is this site essentially just unpaid fans like Bleacher Report?

 

Pretty sure they're paid, because starting a blog on there is quite the application process, from what I can tell.

 

Lead bloggers for sites are paid. Editors/assistant editors for regional sites are paid. The only ones that aren't paid are the contributors to individual blogs. Those contributors being people the lead blogger finds to help out with content on the site. With that said, the lead blogger may have a system for payment for those contributors. It's different for each site.

 

Correct, with the added point that I believe (as of about two years ago) hits generate pay for lead bloggers. At one point, the pay was structured to be entirely hits-based, but I believe that's changed.

Also, some of the talent on SB Nation is outstanding. Tom Ziller (NBA), Spencer Hall (college football) and, most obviously, Rob Neyer (MLB) are really, really good national voices on their sports. Unfortunately, there's also a lot of inconsistency.

 

Essentially, depending on how popular your site is, the more you are paid. I don't think there is a set structure, though. Ex. "Get this many hits, make this much money."

Spencer Hall is a fantastic writer. Their other baseball guys are good, too: Jon Bois, Grant Brisbee and Marc Normandin, to name a few.