Interning at Sports Reference

The Sports Reference Summer Internship program has proven to be a launchpad for students looking to break into the sports industry.

Having run for over 10 years, our full-time, paid summer internship program is available to degree-seeking students or recent graduates looking to gain experience on data, engineering, marketing, and/or product departments.

Why should you intern at Sports Reference?

Our program gives interns the opportunity to obtain real-world experience in the sports industry, while also working on meaningful projects to showcase in their portfolios. Interns will have the chance to learn across departments and about different areas of the business.

While based in Philadelphia, Sports Reference is a remote-first company, offering a flexible schedule for interns to complete their work and maintain a work-life balance.

More perks of the program:

  • Competitive pay
  • Flexible work schedule
  • Remote work environment
  • Opportunity to work in-person for interns in the Philly area
  • Resume reviews and career development activities
  • Lunch & Learns hosted by members of our team
  • Networking guests in the sports industry
  • Opportunities to build camaraderie among interns through team-building activities

Wondering which department you’d fit best in?

Here are descriptions of each department at SR. Interns will have the opportunity to work on projects related to these responsibilities:

Data
The data department compiles, cleans, manages and maintains our sites’ data so our users can enjoy, understand, and share the sports that they love. They ensure that our data is accurate and consistent, identify ways to expand the information on our sites, and help users with any questions they have on our sites.

Engineering
The engineering department handles the overall development and infrastructure of our sites, and works to ensure there aren’t any issues for our users when they look for their favorite teams and players. This includes our software, test, and DevOps engineers, along with our Scrum Masters, who all keep our sites up and running for users to enjoy.

Marketing
The marketing department promotes and handles revenue generation, as well as public relations for Sports Reference. Across digital, product, social, and community marketing, our team shares and educates our users on our work. The marketing department brings new audiences to the sites and keeps the community coming back for more.

Product
The product department decides what to build and improve on our sites, ensuring that every update and area is valuable to our users. This includes our product management, user research, user experience design, and search engine optimization disciplines. From research, to cross-functional coordination, to implementation, they are involved in every step of the process.

Here are some of the places our interns have worked after graduating:

Detroit Tigers Logo Chicago Cubs Logo Toronto Blue Jays Logo New York Mets Logo Los Angeles Dodgers Texas Rangers Oklahoma City Thunder MLS Logo FanDuel Logo Stats Perform Logo

Check out what our interns and their managers said about the program, as well as a word from our President, Sean Forman.

Note: responses have been lightly edited for clarity

Here’s how the application process works:

  • Applications open: Mid-December
  • Applications close: Mid-January
  • Phone screening: End of January or beginning of February
  • Offer letters sent: Beginning of March

The phone screen is the only interview in the process, which will include the team’s intern manager and another member of the team for around 30 minutes.

Please review the internship application for exact dates on the hiring timeline. Sign up for email reminders when the application opens.

FAQs and Requirements

FAQs:

What are the dates of the program?
Our internship program allows for flexible start/end dates based on your school/travel schedule. The full length of the program runs between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Is this internship paid?
Yes, all our interns are paid a competitive hourly rate that is listed in each year’s application.

What do you mean by “flexible schedule?”
For our interns, we require that they work 40 hours per week, but those hours can be allocated throughout the week any way they’d like*, as long as they are able to attend meetings with their team and manager.

Can I get college credit for my internship?
We have offered college credit to past interns who request it through their college/university. For exact details, consult your interviewer during the phone screening stage.

Can I apply for the program if I’m working towards a higher education degree?
Yes! We accept all applicants who are currently working towards or have recently completed a degree - Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate, PhD, etc. We would like to note that the program was designed for undergraduate students, but can be modified to fit a candidate’s experience if we see fit.

Can I apply to the program if I’m an international student?
We require that interns have a legal right to work in the US, which also means that they would be in a US time zone for the duration of the internship. Having interns in non-US time zones would be difficult to coordinate at this time.

*Note: In compliance with state laws, some interns may not be able to work more than 8 hours in a day. This will be communicated upon receiving an offer from Sports Reference.

Program Requirements:

  • Must have a legal right to work in the United States
  • Must be at least 18 years of age
  • Must be a current degree-seeking student or recently graduated upon starting the program

Ready to apply?

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