Sports Illustrated and many of its arms have a new home with Minute Media but one of SI’s subsidiaries is in limbo. According to Front Office Sports‘ A.J. Perez, while Minute has firmly grasped SI, the SI Swimsuit Edition, and SI Kids, its grip on SI FanNation isn’t so solid.
According to Perez, while the landmark 10-year deal between Authentic Brands Group and Minute Media includes Sports Illustrated FanNation, the company’s collection of SB Nation-esque fan blogs, FanNation’s staff may still be up in the air. Minute Media met with FanNation management and the leaders of the SI brand left upbeat. According to Minute, the company is committed to restoring the Sports Illustrated name in high regard.
“Sports Illustrated is the gold standard for sports journalism in the U.S. and around the world and has been for nearly 70 years across both print and digital media,” wrote Minute Media CEO and founder Asaf Peled, according to FOS. “The weight and power of that distinction cannot be understated.”
However, both sides aren’t out of the woods just yet. The Arena Group, the previous SI license owner, intends to meet with FanNation’s 300 contracted writers to potentially create a new sports site after losing SI, potentially leaving FanNation in a rough spot if a sizable number of writers opt to stay with Arena.
In January, The Arena Group lost the Sports Illustrated license and subsequently laid off its entire staff. Many mourned the end of Sports Illustrated but just as quickly as it left, it returned under new management. Still, the SI writers are keen on protecting the brand (and their jobs) even under a new parent company that understands content creation.
“We have said from the start that our top priorities are to keep Sports Illustrated alive, uphold the legacy of the institution and protect our union jobs,” Emma Baccellieri, staff writer for SI and vice chair for the SI Union, said in a statement to Front Office Sports. “We look forward to discussing a future with Minute Media that does that.”
Perez says Minute Media will take the next couple of weeks to assess future staffing and organizational needs. Depending on how the meeting with The Arena Group goes, this could open up needs in the brand’s FanNation site.
