& # 39; Sports Illustrated & # 39; is sold again, but the edition will not be transferred to the new owner: NPR

Illustrated Sports was sold for the second time in less than two years. This time, however, the purchase of $ 110 million by Authentic Brands Group attaches much more importance to the reputation of the iconic magazine than the publication itself, pushing the name further into companies such as games of chance and live events.

Meredith Corp. acquired Illustrated Sports in January 2018, along with several other titles as part of his purchase of Time Inc., Meredith decided to unload most of Time Inc.'s magazines that did not target its main audience: readers. And these measures also reflected the declining finances of major traditional publications.

So Meredith has sold Time Salesforce co-founder magazine, Marc Benioff and his wife, Lynne Benioff; he was treating Fortune to a Thai entrepreneur, Chatchaval Jiaravanon, and he killed Money printed edition of the magazine.

Illustrated Sports He has dominated sports journalism for decades, featuring such powerful writers as Frank Deford, George Plimpton and Gary Smith, and the photojournalism of photographers such as Neil Leifer. The magazine included clear views on civil and human rights, politics, power and money through the prism of professional, academic and amateur sport. A recovery was considered a feat equal to many achievements in the field.

Yet the immediacy of sports information, on cable TV and online, in particular, agile and caustic websites to the ESPN television giant, has shaken its seemingly indispensable. The same is true for major societal changes in the way people consume information and news.

"Illustrated Sports Terry McDonell, the magazine's former editor, told NPR that everyone remembers something about the sport. Illustrated Sports. I do not think it's gone. It might have decreased a little. "

A spokeswoman for Meredith says Illustrated Sports remains profitable with a calendar of 27 issues per year. Yet the company has now sold Illustrated Sports to Authentic Brands as part of an agreement based on the acquisition of the magazine's intellectual property. This includes his photographic records, his former sports and sports blankets of the year, as well as the annual swimsuit numbers featuring bikinis models, including models by Cheryl Tiegs and Christie Brinkley in recent years. decades until Tyra Banks.

"As a pioneer and cultural phenomenon, Illustrated Sports Nick Woodhouse, president and chief marketing officer of Authentic Brands, said in a statement: "We look forward to working with Meredith to extend the legacy of Sports Illustrated and connect the brand with new audiences around the world.

Authentic Brands also controls the rights to a wide range of brands, including celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley; sports personalities such as Julius Erving and Shaquille O'Neill; and fashion lines like Juicy Couture.

Meredith will continue to publish the magazine and manage her website for the time being – by paying Authentic Brands a license fee to do so, while maintaining its editorial independence, according to both companies. The president of Meredith's national media said that he would integrate IFprinted and digital products in Meredith's operations.

In a memo to the staff, Illustrated Sports The editor, Chris Stone, wrote that the magazine would seek to reach a wider audience on other platforms, including at live events, conferences, gambling and other events. video games. He also cited the development of television broadcasts IF Equipment. And he congratulated Meredith for concluding an agreement honoring the magazine's work.

"This agreement only makes sense if we continue to generate quality journalism and stories," Stone said. The guarantee that the magazine will continue to appear under Meredith, however, lasts only two years.