It’s not clear what will happen after two
years, though it’s possible Meredith and the
new buyer, Authentic Brands Group, could
extend their licensing deal, terms for which
weren’t disclosed.
The magazine is “so essential in the psyche
of sports,” said Samir Husni, director of the
Magazine Innovation Center at the University of
Mississippi, even after the magazine lost some of
its luster with ESPN’s entry to sports journalism
decades ago.
“I don’t think Sports Illustrated is going
anywhere soon,” Husni said.
Meredith has long published Martha Stewart
Living magazine under a licensing deal. “We
believe we will have similar, great success
developing the vitality and profitability of
Sports Illustrated,” Meredith spokeswoman Jill
Davison said.
For now, she said Meredith and Authentic have
“achievable and ambitious goals to meet” and
will evaluate the partnership after two years. She
said there are no plans to change the magazine’s
frequency. The once-weekly print edition
currently comes out every other week.
Authentic said it sees opportunities to grow
Sports Illustrated in digital, TV and social media,
making it “a leader in lifestyle and entertainment.”
Authentic will take over marketing and business
development and will look for other licensing
opportunities in products, original content
and live events. The company said it sees
opportunities to use the Sports Illustrated brand
in growing markets for sports gambling and
video game competitions known as esports.