Hey there, {{first_name | Bears fan}}!
One month ago, I sent the first Bears By 7 to a small group of family and friends.
This morning, I sent the newsletter out to over 600 Bears fans already loving the content, even though we’re still a few months from the season.
Unreal. I can’t thank you enough for this start. Each of you here at the beginning will always be an important part of this story, wherever it ends up.
The numbers on the report card tell the real story. That open rate soars above the industry standard and proves what we already knew: Bears fans can’t get enough of our team, no matter the time of year.
More importantly, it tells me you’re actually reading and that’s the part that matters most. As our feeds get hammered with hot takes, bad actors and AI slop, I think it’s important to have a spot for real coverage of the team that isn’t beholden to algorithms or content farms. Many of you have already told me Bears By 7 is succeeding in that regard, and that’s been great to hear.
So where do we go from here?
Onward to training camp and Week 1! (With hopefully a stadium decision in there.)
My hope is that Bears By 7 grows right alongside the 2026 Bears. That’s going to take a lot of work from my side, not only from the content side but making this a real sustainable business that keeps producing great features for you, the reader.
In fact, I think BB7 will only be 2-3 times a week from mid-June to training camp as I take care of some structural things that haven’t been put in place yet.
If you’re invested in this journey, there are two ways you can help:
1 - Become a Bears By 7 member! It’s important to me the daily newsletter stays free. No one likes paywalls and I personally hate deciding what goes behind one and what stays out front.
Here’s the pitch: If Bears By 7 has become a part of your morning (or will this fall), please consider joining the first round of paying members. Not only will you get plenty of extras like ad-free newsletters, commenting privileges and bonus content, you’ll be the biggest reason this thing keeps showing up at 7 am.
It will also give me the ability to do things like purchase photo licensing for game and practice photos, pay freelance writers, etc. If you’ve already taken the plunge, thank you.
2 - Tell your friends or visit our sponsors! Subscriptions aren’t for everyone, but there are still two big ways you can help. The first is to tell your friends, your group chats, your Bears fans co-workers about the newsletter and send them your referral link.
Your referral link: {{rp_refer_url}}
The second is to click on ads when you see them because that simple action produces real revenue for the newsletter. (You don’t even have to buy or sign up for anything, though you certainly should if the product interests you.) Every clicked ad gets us closer to those licensed photos and additional writers.
OK, it’s my general rule to give at least 10 things before asking for one, so that’s enough asking for now. If you have any questions about anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
And again, thanks so much for this fantastic start. I can’t wait to see what’s ahead for all of us.
Bear Down,
Kevin
