ABG Commemorates Two Game-Changing Years for Sports Illustrated

Authentic Brands Group acquired Sports Illustrated in May 2019 with a vision to grow the storied media brand into a leading, 360-degree, multifaceted and multiplatform sports enterprise and extend its footprint around the world.

In addition to reimagining its print and digital editorial platforms under the leadership of its publishing partner Maven, Sports Illustrated has expanded into a multitude of new industry verticals, including lifestyle categories, health and wellness and swimwear. It has also launched a Hollywood-based long-form content studio, a global ticketing platform, events, and announced a highly-anticipated online gambling sportsbook arriving in Q3!

Later this year, Sports Illustrated will introduce SI Shop, an e-commerce marketplace for sports-related merchandise from best-in-class vendors, partners and brands. Sports Illustrated is also slated to launch men's, women's and children's apparel and footwear at a preeminent national retailer, host immersive events and more. See below for highlights from the ever-expanding Sports Illustrated Universe.

 
 

SI Sportsbook, powered by 888 Holdings' world-class betting technology, will debut this fall as part of an exclusive U.S. Online Sports Betting and iGaming partnership. Learn more here.

 
 

FaZe Clan is the first gaming organization to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated. ABG's President and CMO Nick Woodhouse and FaZe Clan's CEO Lee Trink discussed the limited-edition merch drop on a live chat.

 
 

This month's debut of SI Tix, an innovative ticketing platform for global concerts, theater and sporting events, was featured in 80+ articles, generating 1 billion+ media impressions. Experience the website and app.

 
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Maven, Sports Illustrated's media partner, acquired The Spun, which reaches 15 million+ unique monthly readers, with the goal of targeting a younger demographic and growing its social media presence.

 
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Sports Illustrated Studios, established in May '20 to develop long-form content including feature films, TV projects and podcasts, will produce an OSU scandal docuseries with George Clooney's Smokehouse Pictures.

 
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The vertical includes Prospects by Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated Nutrition and CatchCorner by Sports Illustrated. Stay tuned for a transformative fitness partnership with Sports Illustrated Swim coming soon.

 
 

Sports Illustrated has released drops with Mitchell & Ness, UNKNWN, BEASTIN, FaZe Clan and PWRFWD. Stay tuned for Hard Rock x Sports Illustrated Swim, Rudis and more exciting collaborations coming soon.

 
 

On the heels of the release of Neil Leifer. Boxing. 60 Years of Fights and Fighters, ABG partnered with Taschen to expand Neil Leifer's fine art print business to include unique aluminum prints.

 
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Sports Illustrated Covers, the official destination to relive the magazine's most celebrated covers, saw a spike in sales after the relaunch of its website and a national ad campaign that reached new audiences.

 
 

Sports Illustrated inked a multiyear book deal with Triumph, kicking off with books on Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter and Kobe Bryant. It also extended its partnership with Capstone and will launch a book with Rizzoli later this year.

 
 

Sports Illustrated partnered with Topps to transform its iconic cover art dating back to the '50s into a special set of 70 trading cards. The most recent release features Ichiro Suzuki and Ivan Rodriguez. Shop now.

 
 

Sports Illustrated Pictures renewed its relationship with Getty Images to incorporate its iconic photos into Ken Burns' Muhammad Ali documentary, Michael Jordan's The Last Dance, various ads and editorial licenses.

 
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Sports Illustrated will utilize Veritone's AI-enabled media management portal to turn its archival interview and documentary footage of athletes, sports personalities, celebrities and more into a new line of business.

 
 

Prospects by Sports Illustrated, the brand's youth sports tournaments vertical, will hold the 2021 Junior Liberty Bowl All-Star Showcase at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida from July 1st until July 4th.

Sports Illustrated Swim

 
 

SISwim.com

Sports Illustrated Swim, a swimwear line for every body type featuring sustainable elements, launched last year. Visit SISwim.com to shop the brand's new monthly arrivals.

 
 

Sports Illustrated Swim Search

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit franchise champions empowerment, diversity, inclusion and body positivity. The 2021 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue will be revealed in July at the Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Florida, where exclusive events will take place all weekend.

 
 

Calendar Marketing Association Award

Sports Illustrated's 2021 Wall Calendar by Trends International received a gold medal under the Best Glamour Photography category.

Social Media Milestones

 
 

Sports Illustrated Social Highlights

Sports Illustrated shares an average of 57K+ social media posts a year, reaching 17.8 million+ followers. It generates 4 billion+ impressions, 68 million+ interactions and 2 billion+ video views annually.

 
 

Neil Leifer Highlights

Sports Illustrated and Muhammad Ali's channels helped launch Neil Leifer's accounts in January '21 and have grown his following to reach thousands of fans worldwide who consistently drive conversion.

Events

 
 

The Sports Illustrated Awards

Breanna Stewart, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, LeBron James, Naomi Osaka and Patrick Mahomes received the honor in 2020.

 
 

Sports Illustrated "The Party"

The Party was the tentpole Super Bowl event of 2020. Notable guests included Elon Musk, Paul McCartney, Wiz Khalifa and others.

 
 

Sportsperson of the Year Award

American soccer player Megan Rapinoe won the 2019 Sportsperson of the Year Award, the most prestigious honor in all of sports media.

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