Sports Illustrated Publisher to Lay Off Most Staff

Facts

• The union representing Sports Illustrated said Friday that the magazine's publisher, Arena Group, is laying off 'a significant number, possibly all' of the magazine's staff members after losing its publishing license.¹
• In an email to staff, Arena — which missed a $3.75M payment to its licensing company Authentic Brands Group (AGB) earlier this month — said some employees would be let go right away while others would be terminated at the end of a 90-day notice period.²
• AGB bought the magazine from Meredith Publishing in 2019 after Meredith bought it from Time Inc. a year prior. While the 10-year licensing agreement between AGB and Arena has fallen through, AGB said it still wants to 'ensure the continued publication of [Sports Illustrated]' and is 'confident that going forward the brand will continue to evolve and grow.'³
• The year Meredith bought Sports Illustrated, the magazine went from being a weekly issue to a bi-weekly issue and then a monthly issue in 2020. Founded in 1954, it has been a leading sports journalism publication for 70 years, including online and print.⁴
• The magazine has also faced backlash for several decisions in recent years, including putting a transgender woman on the cover of its annual swimsuit issue in 2021 and last year.⁵
• It also faced controversy following a November report that found it had published artificial intelligence-generated writing and photographs, and in December, Arena fired CEO Ross Levinsohn.⁶

Sources: ¹Wall Street Journal, ²Washington Post, ³Oregonlive, ⁴ABC News, ⁵Daily Wire and ⁶Verity.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by MSNBC. Though it's no stranger to commercial woes, Sports Illustrated's possible demise is a heartbreaking chapter in the world of journalism. The world-leading magazine — which informed the world about legends including Muhammad Ali and Billie Jean — is more than just a sports publication; it's an inclusivity champion that prioritizes crucial issues, such as race, sexuality, and class. It can't be replaced.
• Right narrative, as provided by Red State. Sports Illustrated was successful for 70 years for two reasons and two reasons only: it wrote about sports and put attractive women on the cover. Since it decided to become a social justice magazine in recent years, former subscribers understandably dropped the publication from their reading list. Its current predicament should come as no surprise.