The Moonraker is changing in 2026: What to expect from our new-look coverage, and enhanced digital features

In 2026, The Moonraker’s coverage of Swindon Town will be changing.

Over the past 18 months, thanks to your support, this title has become a fixture in the local media landscape and has proven itself editorially and financially viable.

It has been a thrill to see how many of you have been willing to back a startup sports journalism project, especially given the economic realities we all deal with every day.

So what next? Well, simply put, the coverage will expand. But before I go further, a little context.

The Moonraker is built on a production platform called CounterPress, of which I am also a co-founder.

The site that you have backed so incredibly over the past 18 months is the flagship, concept outlet for what my colleagues and I hope to be a new future for sports journalism.

Because of your support, we proved that concept and have been able to secure external funding to push faster and harder in delivering a product which we believe offers value and return for journalists – and by extension the communities they serve.

Because of your backing, we have been able to show others the benefits of owning their own media titles.

And it is incredibly exciting to be heading into 2026 with 25 new sites set to launch on CounterPress in the first half of 2026, as it stands. There is the potential for many, many more.

It is because of you, Town fans, that this has been possible. Thank you.

Because of your support, CounterPress has been able to further develop its products, functionality and features. And that means in 2026, we can start to offer more and more to you, the readers – our community.

In January, The Moonraker will launch a new podcast – ‘Rake The Moon’ – with the main show available to everyone for free, but special members-only episodes available only via Moonraker membership.

In the coming weeks, members will also receive newsletters directly from me into your email inboxes. The finer details of this are to follow, but it will mean you do not need to check the website every day to get the latest from the County Ground.

A new regular free newsletter will also be added, for those who are undecided about whether they want to make the jump into membership. One day, of course, I hope you do.

Our general coverage of Town will expand. We will provide a broader news agenda, giving a day-to-day breakdown of events in SN1, all via the excellent easy-reading experience offered by CounterPress.

On social media, there will be a steady uptick in The Moonraker’s presence on X, Facebook and Instagram. As we go through the first quarter of the new year, we’ll also start popping up more regularly in your YouTube and TikTok feeds, too. My apologies to everyone who has to see this podgy f***** clown on a semi-regular basis as a result.

We are starting to add commercial partners, but that does not mean your reading experience will be impacted by god-awful display advertising. Our commercial partnerships will offer members-only perks to Moonraker subscribers, focusing on businesses in the community.

Ahead of next season, The Moonraker will benefit from the release of the CounterPress app – allowing our users to have everything they want from their favourite Swindon Town media outlet, in their pocket at any given time.

And for those of you more technically minded, yes we will be releasing a version of the site in the very near future that allows for fewer logins.

The year 2026 promises to be an exciting one for the club, as they push for a promotion that would mean so much to so many. And The Moonraker fully intends to keep that excitement alive every step of the way.

Thank you for your support. Thank you for your faith, and occasional patience.

My very best wishes to all of you, and all your loved ones this Christmastime.

Here’s to a very, very, very happy new year.

Sam