History of Sports Illustrated in Timeline
Sports Illustrated (SI) is a prominent American sports magazine, launched in 1954 by Stuart Scheftel. It achieved early success, becoming the first magazine with over a million subscribers to twice win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence. SI is also recognized for its annual swimsuit issue, a popular and influential feature since 1964, which has led to various spin-offs and media extensions. The magazine covers a wide range of sports and related content, solidifying its place as a significant voice in American sports culture.
1936: First Sports Illustrated Created
In 1936, Stuart Scheftel created the first Sports Illustrated magazine, targeting sportsmen and publishing it monthly.
1942: First Sports Illustrated Publication Ceased
In 1942, Stuart Scheftel's Sports Illustrated ceased publication after running monthly since 1936.
1949: Dell Publications' Sports Illustrated
In 1949, Dell Publications released their version of Sports Illustrated, which lasted for six issues.
August 9, 1954: Launch of Current Sports Illustrated Magazine
On August 9, 1954, the current version of Sports Illustrated was launched after two previous attempts under the same name.
August 1954: Sports Illustrated First Published
In August 1954, Sports Illustrated was first published as an American sports magazine founded by Stuart Scheftel.
1954: Magazine Editors Meet at Pine Lakes Country Club
In 1954, Luce and editors of the planned magazine met at Pine Lakes Country Club to discuss the magazine. The first issue was given to the course, and the course credits the magazine with making Myrtle Beach a golf destination.
1954: First Sportsperson of the Year Award
In 1954, Sports Illustrated presented its first Sportsperson of the Year award to Roger Bannister for breaking the four-minute mile record.
May 1956: Laguerre Becomes Assistant Managing Editor
In May 1956, Andre Laguerre was brought to New York to become the assistant managing editor of the magazine.
1956: Inaugural ASDAs Presented
In 1956, Sports Illustrated began presenting annual awards, the ASDAs, to sportswear/activewear designers, with the first awards presented to Claire McCardell and Rudi Gernreich.
1958: All-Women Winning Group
In 1958, Jeanne S. Campbell, Bonnie Cashin, and Rose Marie Reid formed the first all-women winning group of the Sports Illustrated sportswear/activewear design award.
1960: Andre Laguerre Named Managing Editor
In 1960, Andre Laguerre was named managing editor of Sports Illustrated, leading to a doubling of circulation through departmental editors, redesign, and increased color photography.
1961: Emilio Pucci Receives Award
In 1961, Italian designer Emilio Pucci became the first non-American to receive the Sports Illustrated sportswear/activewear design award.
1963: Marc Bohan Receives Prize
In 1963, Marc Bohan received the Sports Illustrated sportswear/activewear design prize.
1963: Ali's First Cover Appearance
In 1963, Muhammad Ali first appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.
1964: Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Launched
In 1964, Sports Illustrated published its first annual swimsuit issue, which has since expanded into various media and products.
1965: Offset Printing Introduced
In 1965, offset printing was introduced, enabling faster and better-quality color printing for Sports Illustrated.
1967: Fast Color Printing Expansion
By 1967, Sports Illustrated was printing 200 pages of "fast color" a year, improving image quality and enabling integration of color with the latest news.
1983: First Full-Color Newsweekly
In 1983, Sports Illustrated became the first American full-color newsweekly.
1986: Video Versions Produced
In 1986, HBO/Cannon Video signed an agreement to produce video versions of the magazine for $20 on the sell-through market, running 30–45 minutes on tape.
March 1990: Cover Contributors Credited
In March 1990, Sports Illustrated credited the contributors of its covers up to that date.
1990: Time Inc. Merges with Warner Communications
In 1990, Time Inc. merged with Warner Communications to form Time Warner, a media conglomerate.
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.
November 2003: List of Contributing Photographers
The November 2003 issue of Sports Illustrated listed 379 contributing photographers and agencies.
2007: Sports Illustrated Acquires FanNation.com
In 2007, Sports Illustrated acquired FanNation.com to compete in the Web 2.0 market, offering aggregated sports news and user-generated content.
2008: Creation of Sportsman Legacy Award
In 2008, Sports Illustrated created the Sportsman Legacy Award, honoring sports figures who embody sportsmanship, leadership, and philanthropy.
March 2010: Frank Deford on Laguerre
In March 2010, Frank Deford wrote about Andre Laguerre's impact as an editor, highlighting his ability to inspire writers to develop their own distinct voices.
2014: Time Inc. Spun Off from Time Warner
In 2014, Time Inc. was spun off from Time Warner, becoming an independent company once again.
2015: Sportsman Legacy Award Renamed
In 2015, Sports Illustrated renamed its Sportsman Legacy Award to the Sports Illustrated's Muhammad Ali Legacy Award.
2017: Colin Kaepernick Honored with Legacy Award
In 2017, Colin Kaepernick was honored with the Sports Illustrated's Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, presented by Beyoncé.
2017: J.J. Watt and Jose Altuve Named Sportspersons of the Year
In 2017, J. J. Watt and Jose Altuve were jointly named Sports Illustrated's Sportspersons of the Year for their efforts in helping rebuild Houston after Hurricane Harvey and for Altuve's role in the Astros' World Series win.
2017: Inaugural Winner of Maya Moore Award
In 2017, Maya Moore of the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx was the inaugural winner of the award.
2018: Swimsuit Line Launched
In 2018, Sports Illustrated launched a branded swimsuit line in conjunction with its Swimsuit Issue.
2018: Magazine Sold to Meredith Corporation
In 2018, Sports Illustrated was sold to Meredith Corporation through their acquisition of Time Inc., but Meredith planned to sell it due to misalignment with its lifestyle properties.
2018: Sports Illustrated Sold to Authentic Brands Group
In 2018, Time Inc. sold Sports Illustrated to Authentic Brands Group (ABG) following Time Inc.'s sale to Meredith Corporation.
2018: John Cena Honored with 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
In 2018, the Golden State Warriors were named Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year for winning their third NBA title in four years.
June 2019: Publishing Rights Licensed to theMaven, Inc.
In June 2019, the rights to publish Sports Illustrated editorial operations were licensed to the digital media company theMaven, Inc. under a 10-year contract.
October 2019: Chris Stone Steps Down
In October 2019, Chris Stone stepped down as editor-in-chief of Sports Illustrated.
September 2021: The Arena Group Acquired The Spun
In September 2021, The Arena Group (formerly Maven) acquired The Spun, a sports news website, which would integrate into Sports Illustrated.
2021: Partnerships with Morning Read and iHeartMedia
In 2021, Sports Illustrated announced partnerships with Morning Read for golf coverage and iHeartMedia to distribute and co-produce podcasts.
2021: Tom Brady Wins Sportsperson of the Year
In 2021, Tom Brady was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year for his Super Bowl 55 win.
2022: Expansion into Apparel and Resort Hotels
In 2022, Authentic Brands Group announced non-editorial ventures for Sports Illustrated, including an apparel line with JCPenney and resort hotels in Orlando and Punta Cana.
September 2023: Resort Partnership with Travel + Leisure
In September 2023, Sports Illustrated delved deeper into the resort world through a new partnership with Travel + Leisure.
November 27, 2023: Allegations of AI-Generated Articles
On November 27, 2023, Futurism published an article alleging that Sports Illustrated was publishing AI-generated articles credited to AI-generated authors, leading to controversy and criticism.
2023: Deion Sanders Wins Sportsperson of the Year
In 2023, Deion Sanders was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year for his coaching of the football team at the University of Colorado Boulder.
January 5, 2024: The Arena Group Missed Licensing Payment
On January 5, 2024, The Arena Group missed a $3.75 million quarterly licensing payment to Authentic Brands Group.
January 2024: The Arena Group's License Terminated, Staff Laid Off
In January 2024, Authentic Brands Group terminated The Arena Group's license to operate Sports Illustrated due to missed payments, which resulted in the layoff of the publication's editorial staff.
March 2024: Publishing Rights Licensed to Minute Media
In March 2024, Authentic Brands Group licensed the publishing rights for Sports Illustrated to Minute Media in a 10-year deal, with plans to revive the print and digital editions by rehiring editorial staff.
March 2024: Minute Media Licenses Publishing Rights
In March 2024, Authentic Brands Group licensed the publishing rights to Minute Media in a 10-year deal, with plans to revive Sports Illustrated's print and digital editions by rehiring staff.
May 2024: Print Publication Missed
In May 2024, Sports Illustrated failed to deliver its monthly print issue to subscribers for the first time in the magazine's 70-year history.
May 17, 2024: New York Post Report
According to a New York Post report on May 17, 2024, Sports Illustrated failed to deliver a print copy of the publication for the month to its subscribers for the first time in the magazine's 70-year history.
