3 ms·

Clearly this is because there’s no demand for sports writing anymore, and in fact nobody consuming any kind of sports media, because otherwise I can’t imagine h

Clearly this is because there’s no demand for sports writing anymore, and in fact nobody consuming any kind of sports media, because otherwise I can’t imagine how a savvy business person couldn’t figure out how to make money with the most storied name in sports journalism.

i8comments 3y ago
Hm... maybe there is demand and they are not a savvy business person?
add-sub-mul-div 3y ago
Or maybe the internet kicked off a generational shift in demand away from written content and towards lowest common denominator content like Barstool and whatever is going on with gambling. Startup brands will always be able to skate fastest towards the puck. To the extent that the SI brand is associated with substantive content it's more of a liability now.
- roughly 3y ago
  Grantland did fine for a while until it was cancelled by ESPN and then reborn as The Ringer, which has done fine since then; as noted elsewhere, The Athletic has been doing fine as well. I’m not convinced that “Americans don’t read interesting writing anymore” is a theory for which there’s sufficient evidence, although I could be convinced that a series of short-sighted business types tanked a 50 year old publication because they believed that.
  - add-sub-mul-div 3y ago
    The point is that in the old world a print magazine became a household name for generations, now the same type of content is relegated to a few niche brands that will never have the same level of cultural relevance. SI may well have been mismanaged, but print journalism is dying across the board so what really could have been expected? It could have survived with better management, but only by becoming something stupid.
ovulator 3y ago
I don't know how they are doing monetarily, but theathletic.com has taken over what Sports Illustrated used to be. Good actual sports journalism.
paleotrope 3y ago
With internet fragmentation, I wonder if a generic sports magazine isn't going to be nearly as useful as something focused on a specific sport. "What's happening in the sports world today? Oh yea a magazine that gives me all sorts of sports news. How incredibly useful to me." Maybe it was only popular because it was the only game in town 30 years ago, and the auto-renew subs for doctor and dentist's offices stopped when those doctors and dentist's retired.

i8comments 3y ago

Hm... maybe there is demand and they are not a savvy business person?

add-sub-mul-div 3y ago

Or maybe the internet kicked off a generational shift in demand away from written content and towards lowest common denominator content like Barstool and whatever is going on with gambling. Startup brands will always be able to skate fastest towards the puck. To the extent that the SI brand is associated with substantive content it's more of a liability now.

roughly 3y ago
Grantland did fine for a while until it was cancelled by ESPN and then reborn as The Ringer, which has done fine since then; as noted elsewhere, The Athletic has been doing fine as well. I’m not convinced that “Americans don’t read interesting writing anymore” is a theory for which there’s sufficient evidence, although I could be convinced that a series of short-sighted business types tanked a 50 year old publication because they believed that.
- add-sub-mul-div 3y ago
  The point is that in the old world a print magazine became a household name for generations, now the same type of content is relegated to a few niche brands that will never have the same level of cultural relevance. SI may well have been mismanaged, but print journalism is dying across the board so what really could have been expected? It could have survived with better management, but only by becoming something stupid.

ovulator 3y ago

I don't know how they are doing monetarily, but theathletic.com has taken over what Sports Illustrated used to be. Good actual sports journalism.

paleotrope 3y ago

With internet fragmentation, I wonder if a generic sports magazine isn't going to be nearly as useful as something focused on a specific sport. "What's happening in the sports world today? Oh yea a magazine that gives me all sorts of sports news. How incredibly useful to me." Maybe it was only popular because it was the only game in town 30 years ago, and the auto-renew subs for doctor and dentist's offices stopped when those doctors and dentist's retired.