Sports Illustrated, the iconic sports magazine founded in 1954, will continue to be available in physical form after a new publishing deal was announced on Monday. Authentic Brands Group (ABG) revealed that Minute Media, a digital media company based in Israel, had secured the publishing rights for Sports Illustrated. While the magazine will remain under ABG's ownership, Minute Media will take over the responsibility of printing Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, and Sports Illustrated Kids. The deal is set for 10 years with an option to extend for another 30 years.

Minute Media, which started as a digital publication focused on soccer in 2011, has since expanded to over 500 employees and acquired other sports news outlets like The Players' Tribune and FanSided. Minute Media's CEO, Asaf Peled, expressed excitement about the partnership with Sports Illustrated and plans to enhance the publication's visibility, commercial viability, and sustainable impact while preserving its legacy of sports journalism.

The agreement comes after a period of turmoil for Sports Illustrated, as the previous publisher, The Arena Group, faced financial challenges and laid off most of the staff in January. Minute Media's takeover has been welcomed by the magazine's unionized staff members, who are optimistic about the future of Sports Illustrated under this new partnership.

Minute Media's focus on short-form sports content creation, including video, audio, and text for mobile devices, aligns with their plans to expand Sports Illustrated's operations globally and rehire some of the employees who were let go by The Arena Group. The move ensures that Sports Illustrated will continue to be a leading source of sports journalism for years to come, maintaining its position as a gold standard in the industry.