Sports Illustrated (SI), established in August 1954 by Stuart Scheftel, is a renowned American sports magazine. The publication achieved significant recognition by becoming the first magazine with a circulation exceeding one million to receive the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twice. SI is widely recognized for its annual swimsuit issue, first published in 1964, which has expanded into various media formats and merchandise.
1936: Stuart Scheftel Creates First Sports Illustrated Magazine
Stuart Scheftel created a magazine called Sports Illustrated in 1936, with a focus on wealthy sportsmen.
1942: Scheftel's Sports Illustrated Ceases Publication
The first Sports Illustrated magazine, published by Stuart Scheftel, stopped being published in 1942.
1949: Dell Publications Releases Short-Lived Sports Illustrated Magazine
After Stuart Scheftel sold the name "Sports Illustrated" to Dell Publications, they released a magazine by that name in 1949, but it only ran for six issues.
August 9, 1954: Launch of the Current Sports Illustrated Magazine
On August 9, 1954, the current iteration of the magazine Sports Illustrated was launched.
August 1954: Sports Illustrated First Published
Sports Illustrated, the American sports magazine, was first published in August 1954.
1954: Sports Illustrated Presents First Sportsperson of the Year Award
Since 1954, Sports Illustrated has annually presented the Sportsperson of the Year award to the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement.
1954: Sports Illustrated Begins Tracking Athlete Cover Appearances
Sports Illustrated began tracking athlete cover appearances in 1954.
1954: Sports Illustrated Begins Tracking Celebrity Cover Appearances
Sports Illustrated began tracking celebrity cover appearances in 1954.
1954: Sports Illustrated Begins Tracking Cover Appearances by Sport
Sports Illustrated began tracking cover appearances by sport in 1954.
1954: Sports Illustrated Begins Tracking Team Cover Appearances
Sports Illustrated began tracking team cover appearances in 1954.
1954: Founders Meet at Pine Lakes Country Club, Potentially Influencing Myrtle Beach as a Golf Destination
The founders and editors of Sports Illustrated met at the Pine Lakes Country Club in 1954. The course's pro shop has a plaque commemorating the occasion and stating the first issue of the magazine was gifted to the course. It's been suggested this event led to Myrtle Beach's rise as a golfing destination.
May 1956: Andre Laguerre Joins Sports Illustrated as Assistant Managing Editor
After catching Henry Luce's eye with his coverage of the 1956 Winter Olympics, Andre Laguerre was brought on as the assistant managing editor of Sports Illustrated in May of that year.
1956: Sports Illustrated Presents Inaugural American Sportswear Design Awards
In 1956, Sports Illustrated began presenting annual awards to fashion or clothing designers who had excelled in the field of sportswear/activewear.
1958: All-Women Group Wins ASDA
Jeanne S. Campbell, Bonnie Cashin, and Rose Marie Reid formed the first all-women winning group of the American Sportswear Design Award in 1958.
1960: Andre Laguerre Becomes Managing Editor of Sports Illustrated
Andre Laguerre became the managing editor of Sport Illustrated in 1960. Under his leadership, circulation more than doubled, he implemented a system of departmental editors, redesigned the magazine's format, and introduced full-color photographic coverage.
1961: Emilio Pucci Becomes First Non-American to Win ASDA
Italian designer Emilio Pucci became the first non-American to receive the American Sportswear Design Award in 1961.
1963: Marc Bohan Wins ASDA
French fashion designer Marc Bohan received the American Sportswear Design Award in 1963.
1963: Muhammad Ali's First Appearance on Sports Illustrated Cover
Muhammad Ali first appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1963 and went on to be featured on numerous covers during his storied career.
1964: First Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Published
In 1964, the first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue was published, which went on to inspire other media and products.
1965: Sports Illustrated Implements Offset Printing
Sports Illustrated began using offset printing in 1965, allowing for the magazine's color pages to be printed overnight, leading to better images and quicker news updates.
1967: Increased Use of Fast Color Printing in Sports Illustrated
By 1967, Sports Illustrated was printing 200 pages of "fast color" a year.
1983: Sports Illustrated Becomes First American Full-Color Newsweekly
In 1983, Sports Illustrated became the first American newsweekly to be fully printed in color.
1986: HBO/Cannon Video to Produce Video Versions of Sports Illustrated
HBO/Cannon Video signed an agreement in 1986 to produce video versions of Sports Illustrated, with each tape priced at $20 and running 30-45 minutes.
1990: Time Inc. and Warner Communications Merge, Forming Time Warner
Time Inc., which owned Sports Illustrated, merged with Warner Communications in 1990, forming Time Warner.
1999: Muhammad Ali Named Sportsman of the Century
In 1999, Sports Illustrated named Muhammad Ali the Sportsman of the Century at the Sports Illustrated's 20th Century Sports Awards in New York City's Madison Square Garden.
2002: Sports Illustrated Publishes List of Top Division I Sports Colleges
In 2002, Sports Illustrated published a list of the top 200 Division I sports colleges in the U.S.
May 2008: Sports Illustrated Stops Tracking Team Cover Appearances
Sports Illustrated stopped tracking team cover appearances in May 2008.
2008: Sportsman Legacy Award Established
The Sports Illustrated Sportsman Legacy Award was originally created in 2008 to honor former sports figures who embody the ideals of sportsmanship, leadership and philanthropy.
2009: Sports Illustrated Stops Tracking Cover Appearances by Sport
Sports Illustrated stopped tracking cover appearances by sport in 2009.
March 2010: Frank Deford Writes About Andre Laguerre in Sports Illustrated
In March of 2010, writer Frank Deford wrote about former Sports Illustrated managing editor Andre Laguerre in the magazine.
2010: Sports Illustrated Stops Tracking Celebrity Cover Appearances
Sports Illustrated stopped tracking celebrity cover appearances in 2010.
2014: Time Inc. Spins Off From Time Warner
In 2014, Time Inc. was spun off from Time Warner.
2015: Sportsman Legacy Award Renamed in Honor of Muhammad Ali
In 2015, the magazine renamed its Sportsman Legacy Award to the Sports Illustrated's Muhammad Ali Legacy Award.
2016: Sports Illustrated Stops Tracking Athlete Cover Appearances
Sports Illustrated stopped tracking athlete cover appearances in 2016.
2017: Colin Kaepernick Receives Muhammad Ali Legacy Award
In 2017, football quarterback Colin Kaepernick was honored with the Sports Illustrated's Muhammad Ali Legacy Award.
2017: Maya Moore Wins Inaugural Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Award
Maya Moore of the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx was the inaugural winner of the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Award in 2017.
2017: J.J. Watt and José Altuve Named Sportspersons of the Year
The 2017 winners of the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year award are Houston Texans defensive end J. J. Watt and Houston Astros second baseman José Altuve.
2018: Time Inc., Previous Owner of Sports Illustrated, Sold to Authentic Brands Group
Having owned Sports Illustrated until 2018, Time Inc. was sold to Authentic Brands Group (ABG) after Meredith Corporation acquired Time Inc.
2018: Meredith Corporation Acquires Time Inc. and Plans to Sell Sports Illustrated
In 2018, Meredith Corporation acquired Time Inc., the then-owner of Sports Illustrated, with the intention of selling Sports Illustrated.
2018: Sports Illustrated Launches Branded Swimsuit Line
In 2018, Sports Illustrated launched a branded swimsuit line in conjunction with its Swimsuit Issue.
2018: John Cena Receives Muhammad Ali Legacy Award
In 2018, WWE professional wrestler John Cena was honored with the Sports Illustrated's Muhammad Ali Legacy Award.
2018: Golden State Warriors Win Sportsperson of the Year
The 2018 winners of the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year award are the Golden State Warriors as a team for winning their third NBA Title in four years.
June 2019: Maven, Inc. Granted License to Publish Sports Illustrated Editorial Content
June 2019 saw the rights to publish editorial content for Sports Illustrated licensed to Maven, Inc. for a 10-year period, with Ross Levinsohn as CEO.
October 2019: Chris Stone Steps Down; Pat Forde Hired
Sports Illustrated's editor-in-chief, Chris Stone, stepped down in October 2019. Later that month, Pat Forde was hired.
January 2020: Sports Illustrated Announces Partnership with The Hockey News
Sports Illustrated announced an editorial partnership with The Hockey News in January 2020, focusing on syndication of NHL coverage.
September 2021: Maven, Now The Arena Group, Acquires The Spun
September 2021 saw Maven, now operating under the name The Arena Group, acquire the New Jersey-based sports website The Spun.
2021: Partnerships with Morning Read and iHeartMedia Announced
In 2021, Sports Illustrated revealed an editorial partnership with Morning Read for golf coverage, merging its website into theirs. Another partnership with iHeartMedia was also announced with a focus on the distribution and co-production of podcasts.
2021: Tom Brady Wins Sportsperson of the Year
Tom Brady won the 2021 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Award for his Super Bowl 55 win.
2022: ABG Announces Non-Editorial Ventures for Sports Illustrated
ABG announced several non-editorial ventures using the Sports Illustrated brand in 2022, including an apparel line with JCPenney and resort hotels in Orlando and Punta Cana.
September 2023: Sports Illustrated Partners with Travel + Leisure
In September 2023, Sports Illustrated announced a partnership with Travel + Leisure, delving further into the resort world.
November 27, 2023: Sports Illustrated Accused of Publishing AI-Generated Content
On November 27, 2023, Futurism published an article alleging that Sports Illustrated was publishing AI-generated articles credited to fake authors.
2023: Deion Sanders Wins Sportsperson of the Year
Deion Sanders won the 2023 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year award for his coaching of the football team at the University of Colorado Boulder.
January 5, 2024: The Arena Group Misses Licensing Payment
On January 5, 2024, The Arena Group, then-owner of Sports Illustrated, missed a licensing payment to Authentic Brands Group.
January 2024: The Arena Group's License Terminated by ABG
In January 2024, The Arena Group, who at the time held the 10-year license to operate the Sports Illustrated-branded editorial operations, missed a quarterly licensing payment. This resulted in ABG terminating their license and the publication's editorial staff being let go.
March 2024: Minute Media Granted Publishing Rights to Sports Illustrated
In March 2024, ABG licensed the publishing rights of Sports Illustrated to Minute Media in a 10-year deal, with the intention of reviving the print and digital editions.
March 2024: Authentic Brands Group Revives Sports Illustrated
In March 2024, Authentic Brands Group licensed the publishing rights to Minute Media in a 10-year deal, reviving the print and digital editions of Sports Illustrated.