Multiple NBA writers and editors are expected to lose their jobs as Sports Illustrated sent a notice to employees that it intends to lay off its entire editorial workforce, per multiple reports.
According to A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports, some of the layoffs will occur immediately. The future of the magazine and website is unclear.
“Authentic, the licensing group that purchased Sports Illustrated for $110 million from Meredith five years ago, has terminated the agreement it holds with The Arena Group to publish SI in print and digital, according to an email obtained by Front Office Sports,” Perez wrote. “That move comes three weeks after Arena missed a $2.8 million payment that breached the company’s SI licensing deal, which began in 2019.”
Arena’s email to staffers read as follows:
“… We were notified by Authentic Brands Group (ABG) that the license under which the Arena Group operates the Sports Illustrated (SI) brand and SI-related properties has been officially revoked by ABG. As a result of this license revocation, we will be laying off staff that work on the SI brand.”
“Some employees will be terminated immediately, and paid in lieu of the applicable notice period under the [the union contract]. Employees with a last working day of today will be contacted by the People team soon. Other employees will be expected to work through the end of the notice period, and will receive additional information shortly.”
The Sports Illustrated Guild responded to the news on X, formerly Twitter.
“We have fought together as a union to maintain the standard of this storied publication that we love, and to make sure our workers are treated fairly for the value they bring to this company,” the statement read. “It is a fight we will continue.”
BREAKING: The Arena Group has given notice that it intends to lay off Sports Illustrated’s entire staff, according to an email obtained by FOS. pic.twitter.com/BIIrFyY6x9
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) January 19, 2024
“It’s unclear whether Authentic will indeed pursue the path of establishing a new operator or will now allow Arena to renegotiate its current deal,” Perez wrote. “Sources tell FOS, though, that Authentic’s goal is to move the process along as quickly as possible. One way or another, says one insider, ‘Authentic will see Sports Illustrated through a necessary evolution.'”
SI came under fire in November after it was accused of publishing AI-generated reviews, seemingly trying to keep them a secret.
“That fiasco was followed by a head-scratching town hall in December led by Bhargava with SI and other Arena employees that spanned more than 90 minutes and during which Bhargava said, ‘No one is important. I am not important. … The amount of useless stuff you guys do is staggering,'” Perez wrote.
Sports Illustrated set for mass layoffs, license revoked https://t.co/CQVkzjM3QQ pic.twitter.com/ZYvHiWiHtN
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 19, 2024
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