Minute Media strikes deal for Sports Illustrated rights
Minute Media strikes deal for Sports Illustrated rights
Sports Illustrated’s publishing portfolio includes Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, and Sports Illustrated Kids. The Israeli company will oversee all digital and print editorial operations across the SI portfolio
Israeli company Minute Media has reached a 10-year licensing deal for digital and print rights to publish Sports Illustrated. The agreement was made with Authentic Brands Group, a global brand platform and owner of Sports Illustrated.
Minute Media is home to other leading and complimentary sports and culture content brands, The Players’ Tribune, FanSided, 90min, and its most recent 2024 acquisition, STN Video, which has rights to premium highlights from every major sports league in North America for online video platform distribution.
As part of the deal, Authentic will also acquire an equity stake in Minute Media.
Sports Illustrated’s publishing portfolio includes Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, and Sports Illustrated Kids. Minute Media will oversee all digital and print editorial operations across the SI portfolio.
Minute Media acquired STN Video in January in a deal estimated at around $150 million. Minute Media raised around $100 million in debt and equity from HSBC Innovation Banking and funds and accounts managed by BlackRock at a valuation of over $1 billion in order to help fund the deal.
Nearly all Sports Illustrated staff received layoff notices in January from the Arena Group, a publishing company, which acquired a license to the magazine right’s from owner Authentic Brands. The move came on the back of a multimillion-dollar dispute between both parties, with Arena Group failing to make a $3.75 million quarterly payment to the group. Sports Illustrated has been in publication since 1954.
According to Minute Media, it reaches 200 million monthly users, powering over 1,500 content creators and over 250 distribution partners across 14 global markets in 10 languages. Minute Media has offices in New York, London, Tel-Aviv, São Paulo and Tokyo. It employs 480 people, including 170 in Israel, and has raised around $300 million to date.
“Sports Illustrated is the gold standard for sports journalism and has been for nearly 70 years across both print and digital media. The weight and power of that distinction cannot be understated,” said Asaf Peled, Founder and CEO of Minute Media. “At Minute Media, our focus will be to take that legacy into new, emerging channels enhancing visibility, commercial viability and sustainable impact, all while ensuring that the SI team is inspired to flourish in this new era of media.”
