For decades, Sports Illustrated (SI) has been an iconic pillar of American sports journalism․ However, the media landscape has shifted dramatically in recent years, leading to a complex division between brand ownership and day-to-day operations․ As of June 2026, understanding who “owns” Sports Illustrated requires distinguishing between the company that holds the intellectual property and the entity responsible for its editorial output․
Table of contents
The Brand Owner: Authentic Brands Group
The primary owner of the Sports Illustrated brand is Authentic Brands Group (Authentic)․ Authentic is a global brand development, marketing, and entertainment platform․ They acquired the rights to the Sports Illustrated name, logo, and archives in 2019, marking a shift toward a licensing-based business model for the historic publication․
Authentic does not typically manage the day-to-day editorial functions of the media properties it owns․ Instead, it focuses on brand strategy, global licensing, and long-term asset growth․ Under Authentic’s stewardship, the brand has navigated significant challenges, including a tumultuous period involving previous licensing partners and organizational restructuring․
The Publisher: Minute Media
While Authentic owns the brand, the operational side of the business—the actual publishing—is handled by Minute Media․ In March 2024, Minute Media entered into a transformative long-term partnership with Authentic to become the official publisher of the Sports Illustrated brand․
This partnership gave Minute Media control over:
- Editorial Operations: Managing the content creation for the digital and print editions․
- Sports Illustrated Swimsuit: Overseeing the annual franchise․
- Sports Illustrated Kids: Managing content for the youth-oriented vertical․
Minute Media, a global technology and sports content company, was brought in to modernize the publication’s digital infrastructure․ This move followed a period of instability for SI, which included mass layoffs and a failed partnership with The Arena Group․ By integrating SI into its existing tech stack, Minute Media has aimed to stabilize the brand and restore its profitability․
Why the Distinction Matters
The separation of brand ownership and publishing rights is a common strategy in the modern media industry, but it has had profound implications for Sports Illustrated:
- Operational Stability: By handing off publishing duties to a specialized content company like Minute Media, Authentic can focus on the brand’s global commercial reach․
- Technological Integration: Minute Media’s expertise in digital sports platforms allows SI to reach audiences through modern distribution channels, moving beyond its legacy print roots․
- Accountability: The structure helps define clear lanes for responsibility, though it has also been a point of concern for labor unions and editorial staff, particularly during transitions and restructuring phases․
The Current State of Sports Illustrated
As of mid-2026, Sports Illustrated is undergoing a significant resurgence․ After navigating scandals related to sponsored content and the fallout from previous management, the brand has reportedly become highly profitable under the current arrangement․ The strategy of leveraging Authentic’s brand power alongside Minute Media’s digital publishing capabilities seems to have provided the stability necessary for the magazine to survive a volatile era in journalism․
