5.1 Magazines
When Time co-creator Henry Luce launched Sports Illustrated in 1954, his staff had doubted its chances. Spectator sports had not yet reached the level of popularity they have today, and the new magazine failed to make a profit for its first 12 years of publication. As television brought spectator sports to the growing suburbs, however, their popularity quickly rose, and Sports Illustrated became a success. Managing editor Andre Laguerre assembled a staff of talented and loyal writers and instituted the extensive use of color photographs, laying the groundwork for the format the magazine still employs.
In 1964, Laguerre initiated the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition as a way to increase sales during the winter months, when the sports world was less active. Putting model Babette March on the cover in a bikini helped the magazine sell, and the swimsuit edition became an annual tradition. Filled with pictures of models in revealing swimwear, the issue generates its share of controversy, but it remains the magazine’s best-selling edition annually.
Flash forward to January 2024, when Sports Illustrated had to terminate a significant portion of its staff because its publisher, the Arena Group, missed a payment on publishing rights. This came on the heels of an AI scandal in November 2023 when the magazine was found to be publishing AI-generated stories and photos. While some lamented that the end was nigh for Sports Illustrated, Minute Media assumed the role of publisher for the landmark magazine in March 2024, and it continues to publish to this day.
Magazine publishers have struggled with competing for advertising dollars for years. Although the news appears grim for an industry that has survived since the 17th century, magazines may not be truly obsolete. Many analysts are hopeful that the magazine industry, with its long and complex past, has experienced a temporary slump. So, many have begun to wonder, what will the future of the magazine business hold?
Using Sports Illustrated as an indication, future magazines will serve as a product of cross-media integration, particularly between print and television. This trend suggests that the best—and perhaps only—way for magazines to remain viable is to focus on their core audience. They must gain an audience via another medium and then use that celebrity-driven status to sell the print product.
The magazine industry is likely to undergo significant changes over the next several years. Several variables, including the Internet, a new generation of readers, fluctuations in advertising costs, and the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, may affect this evolution. Questions remain about whether the magazine industry can reestablish itself as a dominant force in American culture amid these changes.
