Delivered via email Friday, the fate of Sports Illustrated was revealed to the iconic magazine’s staff.
After losing out on a licensing deal, “possibly all” of the NewsGuild workers could be fired, according to the magazine’s publisher.
SI’s parent company, The Arena Group, announced Authentic Brands Group revoked its marketing license, marking an end to a publication that for decades established the standard of sports journalism, reporting and photography.
“As a result of this license revocation, we will be laying off staff that work on the SI brand,” the email sent to employees said.
SI senior writer Pat Forde remained optimistic, however, that the magazine can yet be saved, but still felt personal pain Friday.
“There still is a website and a magazine,” Forde wrote via social media. “That said: Ugly, brutal day with many layoffs.”
SI’s union indicated on Twitter Friday that it would continue negotiations with Authentic Brands Group to save the magazine, in some form.
SI’s first issue was released on Aug. 16, 1954. Will we soon see the last?
Twitter users took time Friday to pay homage to the potential loss of a media institution.
Several of Sports Illustrated’s staff members were dismissed via email Friday …
“Another difficult day in what has been a difficult four years four Sports Illustrated…”
But I love SI and we will keep fighting for our workers as long as we can. https://t.co/Be60GU0oxn
— Mitch Goldich 🐙 (@mitchgoldich) January 19, 2024
The Arena Group, the magazine’s owner, also released a statement Friday …
Statement from The Arena Group:
We are in active discussions with Authentic Brands Group (“Authentic”) – but we understand we aren’t the only ones.
Even though the publishing license has been revoked we will continue to produce Sports Illustrated until this is resolved.
— The Arena Group (@The_Arena_Group) January 19, 2024
The words, the action shots. SI stretched creative journalistic norms for nearly eight decades …
RIP SI. What a run pic.twitter.com/ZJar47dzkC
— Trey Coon (@Treyftc) January 19, 2024
Before social media, SI helped put sports fans in the middle of great sporting events, like no other publication, then, and especially, now …
RIP SI. everyone's got a different favorite cover story. this by Gary Smith in 1998 is mine, when he did the best road trip ever. an inspiration to this day. pic.twitter.com/KWs3HCMBo3
— Relax Dude (@Alex_Drude) January 19, 2024
This post is true for generations of sports fans …
If you are older, you knew exactly what day Sports Illustrated showed up in the mailbox. Found this just last week and it took me back to a time when the team was great, they were called something different and if your team made the cover, it was the greatest thing ever. RIP SI. pic.twitter.com/z4li784b8x
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) January 19, 2024
The meme is accurate. Some older sports fans could have taken Friday’s news hard …
How was it to open a brand new Sports Illustrated magazine when there was no internet?
RIP SIpic.twitter.com/Y9udPWBJbr
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates77) January 19, 2024
For some, reading a classic SI issue cover-to-cover usually took about a weekend. Unless, of course, you were sick in bed and cable TV was not yet a thing …
I read every word of this issue a few dozen times. I used to get my issue in the mail and immediately start with Reilly on the back page. RIP SI. pic.twitter.com/VeHgHBXWei
— dave? (@dddaveee) January 19, 2024
RIP SI Magazines 😭 pic.twitter.com/iY0ewREQ07
— Josh Varela (@iAmJoshV) January 19, 2024
Classic SI cover ...
Greatest cover from the greatest sports story of my lifetime.
RIP SI. It was an amazing run. pic.twitter.com/JyXLOMfEUY
— Gregg Parini 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@greggparini) January 19, 2024
A very, very classic SI cover ...
Will never forget my winter of 97’ Tyra Banks Issue Of Sports Illustrated
RIP SI pic.twitter.com/2Hlwt87YYo
— HIGH PRIEST 🌐 (@LordSouja) January 19, 2024
To some sports fans who grew up pre-1990s, receiving SI’s annual swimsuit edition in the mail was almost as good as Christmas morning ...
RIP SI pic.twitter.com/GLvEETR7bX
— Troy Wood (@woody_td) January 19, 2024
This post certainly hits home for a lot of former middle school students ...
In 1998, my dad had a SI subscription and I took the bathing suit issue to school with me for some lunchroom show and tell.
I was sent home from school early that day because, some classmates blew up my spot.
Ahhh the memories.
Thanks Heidi! pic.twitter.com/AmhUEwezVE
— Little Red (@hblethh__) January 19, 2024
To its credit, SI fully embraced Title IX and continued to enhance women's sports coverage since the 1970s ...
So many to pick from, but these are some favorite iconic women Sports Illustrated covers to remember.
✨️
RIP SI 🫡 #WomenInSports pic.twitter.com/1pUdcx3Zk1— BBALLBABE (@BBALLBABE6) January 19, 2024
SI was always more than just a pretty face. Will the beauty return? ...
RIP SI pic.twitter.com/InKyhkM8Rs
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) January 19, 2024
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
