Chris Stone is out as Editor-In-Chief at Sports Illustrated. It is the first major change as the publication goes through a complicated process of changing hands. Stone had been at SI for 27 years.
Sports Illustrated was recently sold to Authentic Brands by Meredith Corp. Authentic Brands has no experience operating a media company, so they have signed a deal allowing digital media company TheMaven to run the digital and print publications.
Incoming CEO for Sports Illustrated, Ross Levinsohn, announced Stone’s departure in an email to his staff. Executive editor Steve Canella and SI.com managing editor Ryan Hunt will take over as co-Editors-in-Chief.
Deadspin reports that more layoffs are likely on the way for Sports Illustrated staffers. “A source at the publication tells Deadspin that Hunt and Canella are working with TheMaven to identify who among SI’s existing staff will continue with the company under TheMaven’s stewardship, with layoffs likely occurring within the next couple weeks,” Chris Thompson writes. “Stone, Hunt, and Canella held a late meeting with on-hand staff Tuesday night to answer questions, where they apparently were vague and noncommittal about the number of people who might be laid off on this timeline.”
