Sports Illustrated, a well-known magazine known for its iconic covers, has recently taken on new roles including ticket reselling. However, the magazine’s subscribers were left without their expected May issue as a dispute between Arena Group and Authentic Brands prevented it from being released. This raises questions about the actual number of subscribers that Sports Illustrated has.
The issue stems from a lawsuit filed by Authentic against Arena for breach of contract, seeking $48 million in damages. The subscriber list is seen as leverage in potential settlement negotiations. Although Sports Illustrated did release an April issue, the next one is set to be a June/July double issue if it is released at all. The decline of this once-iconic brand is surprising and disheartening, but with Minute Media taking over as publisher, there may be hope for revitalization once access to subscriber information is granted.
