(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Sports Illustrated has laid off nearly half of its staff and plans to terminate more individuals amid an ongoing financial dispute between the media publisher and owner, both of which had an arrangement for the licensing of the outlet.
Reportedly, Sports Illustrated’s parent company, Authentic Brands Groups, revoked the licensing agreement with The Arena Group following the latter’s failure to pay its quarterly payment, totaling $15 million per year ($3.75 million per quarter).
I may buy Sports Illustrated, fire all the woke writers & pledge never again to put “chicks” with dicks and fat chicks on the SI Swimsuit cover again. Do I have to save all of sports media? I’m fired up: pic.twitter.com/ztZEmOl58f
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 19, 2024
The mass layoffs were initially announced in an internal email. “As a result of this license revocation, we will be laying off staff that work on the SI brand,” the email said, according to Fox Business.
The magazine’s union, Sports Illustrated Union, and the NewsGuild of New York confirmed the mass layoffs in a Twitter statement.
“This is another difficult day in what has been a difficult four years for Sports Illustrated under Arena Group (previously The Maven) stewardship. We are calling on ABG to ensure the continued publication of SI and allow it to serve our audience in the way it has for nearly 70 years,” the Union said.
Our statement on today’s mass layoffs at Sports Illustrated pic.twitter.com/tQjJdoHP4p
— Sports Illustrated Union (@si_union) January 19, 2024
Mitch Goldich, NFL editor and unit chair, also confirmed the layoffs in the same statement. “We have fought together as a union to maintain the standard of this storied publication that we love, and to make sure our workers are treated fairly for the value they bring to this company. It is a fight we will continue,” he said.
Critics on Twitter reacted to the news by blasting Sports Illustrated, formerly hailed as a beacon for sports journalism, over what many have described as pandering to the left’s ideology on gender and feminism.
“I may buy Sports Illustrated, fire all the woke writers & pledge never again to put ‘chicks’ with d*cks and fat chicks on the SI Swimsuit cover again. Do I have to save all of sports media? I’m fired up,” mocked on Twitter Clay Davis, a Fox Sports Radio host and OutKick founder.
In May 2023, Sports Illustrated featured transgender singer Kim Petras, known for Unholy, the Sam Smith-owned hit single. “Meet Your Cover Model: Kim Petras,” Sports Illustrated wrote in its headline of the cover story.
Last year, Authentic Brands Group fired Sports Illustrated‘s CEO after the media was caught allegedly publishing AI-generated content with AI-fabricated profiles.
Twitter users flooded the platform with mocking posts. Scroll down to see some of the reactions:
Mass layoffs hit Sports Illustrated: https://t.co/G0Nbzi7dug
I can’t imagine why. pic.twitter.com/ubqxDLnZEd
— Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) January 20, 2024
How it started:
Sports Illustrated put a trans dude in a swimsuit on the cover of their 2023 annual swimsuit edition.How it’s going:
All of the staff at Sports Illustrated was fired today.Go woke, Go broke … strikes again. pic.twitter.com/3VcZHwRyNN
— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) January 19, 2024
NEW: Sports Illustrated has reportedly laid off most, if not all of their staff.
Gee, I wonder what happened (This is a dude).
The Arena Group reportedly made the announcement in an email to SI staff.
“We were notified by Authentic Brands Group (ABG) that the license under… pic.twitter.com/WOfDRnmRnP
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 19, 2024
Isn’t the union’s job to make sure employees keep their job? https://t.co/yDZSun2otn
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) January 19, 2024
I’m shocked Sports Illustrated had to lay off their entire staff pic.twitter.com/uStNcjSmUw
— Kingsley Wilson (@KingsleyCortes) January 19, 2024
Remember brands: woke = broke pic.twitter.com/76dllU4PCv
— Nicole Arbour (@NicoleArbour) January 19, 2024
