Sports Illustrated‘s tumultuous existence under Authentic Brands Group (ABG) continues, as it terminated its licensing deal with The Arena Group, the company that published SI for the past 4+ years. The Arena Group then informed the Sports Illustrated team that it was laying off the publication’s entire staff, throwing the former stalwart of sports reporting’s existence into uncertainty and peril.
Yesterday, The Arena Group sent Sports Illustrated staff members this message, confirming that ABG revoked the Sports Illustrated license from Arena and would thus end SI as it previously existed.
The Sports Illustrated Union issued a statement via X, fighting to keep the doors open and continue to “serve [its] audience in the way it has for nearly 70 years.” “We have fought together as a union to maintain the standard of this storied publication that we love,” said Mitch Goldich, NFL editor for Sports Illustrated and unit chair. “and to make sure our workers are treated fairly for the value they bring to this company. It is a fight we will continue.”
According to Front Office Sports, however, ABG is committed to keeping Sports Illustrated alive. “Authentic will see Sports Illustrated through a necessary evolution,” one unnamed source told FOS.
In response to the move, former CEO and Arena Group board member Ross Levinsohn resigned effective immediately from the board. “The actions of this Board and the actions against Sports Illustrated’s storied brand and newsroom are the last straw,” said Levinsohn via LinkedIn. “An incredible team spent years rebuilding great brands like SI through very challenging times. To watch in horror what is transpiring now is one of the most disappointing things I’ve ever witnessed in my professional life.
Over the past few years, Sports Illustrated has slowly but surely tumbled from its mountaintop as one of sports media’s very best publications. Last month, The Arena Group fired Levinsohn after it was revealed the publication was regularly posting and crediting AI-generated stories to fake authors. In Levinsohn’s stead stepped majority owner Manoj Bhargava, who would temporarily lead the company but told staffers, “no one is important.”
In Feb. 2023, the company laid off 17 employees in a “restructuring” effort. In 2022, Authentic revealed Sports Illustrated-themed resorts, hotels, and clothing brands, moves that had some wondering where the future of Sports Illustrated was headed.
