Sam Amico
Videos by OutKick
Sports Illustrated has been discussing setting up a paywall for “premium content” for some time, and it appears the longtime publication is about to follow through.
Per a report from Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, SI.com will set up a metered paywall around much of its content, beginning Feb. 2. The list of pay-per-read articles will include exclusive news, behind-the-scenes interviews and even special photos.
SI was once the most respected name in sports journalism, but has since fallen on hard times under the often chaotic ownership of Maven, which began in October 2019. Following the Maven takeover, numerous longtime staff members, including some highly regarded writers and editors, were laid off. The company has restaffed SI.com on several occasions in just over a year of ownership.
“Several team-specific channel sites run by contract publishers provide the bulk of the site’s current content, and it’s difficult to imagine readers will want to pay for that,” opined Ian Casselberry of Awful Announcing. “The same goes for breaking news.”
Per McCarthy, SI still has yet to determine a subscription price, or how many articles readers will get to view at no charge. “But one source said SI hopes to create a model where readers could pay up to $5.99 a month for premium content,” McCarthy reported.
Under Maven’s ownership, contract writers have complained of late payments and rickety guidelines that often change. SI moved contractors off their main site after a failed attempt to hire a reporter for every team in the NFL, MLB and NBA, as well as most college programs in 2019.
Maven/SI eliminated guaranteed payments for publishers of team sites just one year after instituting the plan.
The Athletic, an ad-free sports website featuring some of the top names in sports journalism, charges a monthly subscription fee. ESPN also recently adopted a subscription model for much of its content.
Unbeknownst to many, the once-proud Sports Illustrated still publishes a magazine — charging $20 for a one-year subscription of 16 issues or $30 for two years and 32 issues.
Like ESPN, I’ll only visit those sites for game recaps and free content.
There is a 0.0% chance I would give ten cents to Sports Illustrated for anything.
Their heavily photoshopped swimsuit calendar was a big draw for many years (maybe it still is) but I would have to think that the countless babes on Instagram (for free of course) has hit the profitability of that as well.
Never go to that site
Bu-bye.
Why pay for woke content, when it is everywhere for free?
You hear me, The Athletic?
Who is still checking for SI? I’d be interested in the subscriber numbers 6 months – 1 year from now.
It will be what you think it will be, plus all the fake accounts they use to prop it up. You don’t think BLM spent all that virtue money only on themselves, do you?
Next thing ya know … we’ll learn that The Sporting News still exists. … JT Taylor Spink LIVES !!!
Sports Illustrated is still in business? Who knew?
The Athletic was the biggest waste I’ve money I’ve spent. Got it last February for 50% for the year. I hate myself for funding the CoronaBro community.
I don’t know SI still existed. Pay for their content? 😂😂😂
I used to love it but haven’t been on the site in ages since it’s affiliated with the communist news nutjobs