The Untold Story Behind Sports Illustrated’s Temporary Hiatus: A Dispute Over Subscriber Lists and a Lawsuit for $48 Million

Sports Illustrated, a once-iconic sports magazine, has undergone a transformation into a diverse platform that includes ticket reselling. However, the latest edition of Sports Illustrated did not exist as a physical magazine during the month of May. According to a report by Josh Kosman of the New York Post, the reason for this was a dispute between Arena Group and Authentic Brands.

The disagreement stems from Arena Group’s refusal to hand over the subscriber list to Minute Media, the new publisher of Sports Illustrated. This may be linked to a lawsuit filed by Authentic Brands against Arena Group for breaching their contract, seeking $48 million in damages. The subscriber list could play a significant role in negotiations for a settlement.

Due to this dispute, the magazine did not publish an issue in May. The next scheduled edition is a June/July double issue, whose release remains uncertain. The downfall of such an iconic brand is both astonishing and disheartening, but there is hope that Minute Media can work towards restoring Sports Illustrated to its former glory once they gain access to the subscriber list.