(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — For decades, Sports Illustrated was one of the jewels of the TIME-Life publishing crown. The magazine, which once gave away free football-shaped phones for new subscribers, had numerous spinoffs and international editions.
In an announcement on Friday, though, the Arena Group — which had a license to operate Sports Illustrated under an agreement with owner Authentic Brands — said it was terminating the licensing agreement and laying off most of the staff.
Lester Munson, who worked at Sports Illustrated for 13 years, said that at its best, Sports Illustrated was a magazine for writers.
“The coverage of the magazine went from games to industry-wide issues, and we always tried to do things at the highest level,” he said.
That included hiring the best writers and photographers, Munson said. He added, though, that the magazine struggled to find success in the digital age.
“Sports Illustrated, as a magazine, was very slow to understand that it had to move online,” he said.
Munson said he believes that website the Athletic, which is now owned by the New York Times, is the digital-first operation that Sports Illustrated could have been.
“The Athletic has become, I think, something of the standard for sports journalism,” he said.
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