Sports Illustrated, the brand, is sold for $110 million

The intellectual property of Sports Illustrated, the magazine whose monumental covers and narrative voices have helped define American sports since its debut 65 years ago, has been sold for $110 million to Authentic Brands Group, in an unusual transaction that suggests the magazine’s most coveted asset is its brand.

The previous owner, Meredith, and the buyer, Authentic Brands Group, announced the completed sale Monday night. Under its terms, Meredith will continue to run Sports Illustrated’s biweekly magazine and website, paying Authentic Brands an undisclosed licensing fee for at least two years.

What Authentic Brands immediately bought was not the magazine itself but rather Sports Illustrated’s valuable intellectual property. The purchase covers the magazine’s trove of more than 2 million images, its swimsuit and Sportsperson of the Year brands, the instantly recognizable name itself and other assets.

A news release indicated that Authentic Brands, a licensing company that owns the brands of celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley and clothing retailers such as Juicy Couture, will make money off these properties through live events, e-sports and sports gambling, among other things.

The companies billed the deal as a “strategic partnership.”

“As a trailblazer and cultural phenomenon, Sports Illustrated has created moments and experiences for its readers that are unmatched by any other sports brand,” Nick Woodhouse, president and chief marketing officer of Authentic Brands, said in a statement. “We look forward to working with Meredith to extend Sports Illustrated’s legacy and connect the brand with new audiences around the world.”

Sports Illustrated’s editor-in-chief, Chris Stone, emphasized in a statement that Authentic Brands and Meredith were committed to continuing to support the magazine and website editorially. (FanSided, a sports-focused network of websites owned by Meredith, was not part of the deal, and Meredith is “currently in the process of selling” it, the statement said.)

“This deal only made sense if we continue to generate premium journalism and storytelling,” Stone said in a memo to staff.

Meredith had acquired Sports Illustrated when it bought Time Inc. for $2.8 billion last year.

For decades the titan of sports journalism, Sports Illustrated struggled in recent years to meet the imperatives of the web and deal with the downsides of ink and paper. Meredith, based in Des Moines, Iowa, told employees more than year ago that it was likely to sell Sports Illustrated along with Time, Fortune and Money, while holding on to lifestyle publications like Allrecipes and Better Homes and Gardens.

Time was sold to Marc Benioff, the chief executive of the software company Salesforce, and Fortune to Chatchaval Jiaravanon, whose family controls one of Thailand’s largest companies. Meredith has announced that it is ending Money’s print edition.


2019 New York Times News Service

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Jennifer Garner leads People magazine's beautiful list

LOS ANGELES -- Actress, businesswoman and children's advocate Jennifer Garner is featured on the cover of People magazine's annual beautiful issue, the magazine said on Tuesday.

People said it chose the 47-year-old "Alias" actress for balancing her career and charitable work with the raising of her three children with ex-husband Ben Affleck.

In addition to film and TV roles, Garner co-founded organic baby food company Once Upon a Farm and works as an ambassador for advocacy group Save the Children.

Garner told People that she never considered herself "one of the pretty girls" when she was growing up in West Virginia. She described her style at the time as "band geek-chic."

Her current "uniform" more often than not is workout clothes, or jeans, a sweater and sneakers, if she is not dressed up for a red carpet or photo shoot.

When she does get glammed up, Garner said her kids will ask "'Can you wash your face? Can you put your hair in a ponytail and put your glasses and sweats on?'"

"And I see the compliment in that," she said. "They just want me to look like Mom."

People's beautiful issue will hit newsstands on Friday. 

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'Riverdale' stars call out Cosmo PH for photoshopping their images

MANILA – Lili Reinhart and Camila Mendes, stars of the hit TV series “Riverdale,” called out Cosmopolitan Philippines on Friday for photoshopping their bodies in the magazine’s latest issue.

Reinhart, who plays the role of Betty Cooper in the TV adaptation of the “Archie” comics, mentioned in a series of posts on Instagram Stories how their photos from Cosmopolitan US were altered by the magazine’s Philippine counterpart to make them look thinner.

“Today is International Women’s Day. Over the last year, we’ve seen an unprecedented movement for women’s rights, and one thing is clear: our time is now. We are phenomenal, and we will make the world a better place for all women. But we still have a long way to go. Our fight is not over,” she said.

“Camila and I have worked incredibly hard to feel confident and comfortable in the bodies that we have. It’s an everyday battle sometimes. And to see our bodies become so distorted in an editing process is a perfect example of the obstacles we have yet to overcome,” she added. 

“So we cannot stop fighting. Our battle has only begun.”

Reinhart stressed that she and Mendes “aren’t going to hide behind Photoshop to conform to beauty standards.”

“That’s why I’m calling out Cosmopolitan Philippines. It’s sad that you felt our bodies needed to be slimmed down,” she said, adding that the magazine “can’t fix us.”

The actress went on to encourage her fellow celebrities and public figures to stop editing their physical features in their photos. 

“It’s only encouraging an unrealistic body image. It’s adding to the problem,” she pointed out. 

Mendes, for her part, said she and Reinhart “feel disrespected and disturbed by the sight of our photoshopped bodies.”

“We want their readers to know that those bodies are not ours; they have been distorted from their natural beauty. We prefer to see our bodies the way they actually are. I’m not interested in having a slimmer waist, I’m more than satisfied with the one that I already have,” said the actress, who plays the role of Veronica Lodge in “Riverdale.” 

ABS-CBN News has reached out to Cosmopolitan Philippines, but the magazine has yet to release a statement about the issue.

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PH to host Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model search

MANILA – The Philippines will be hotter than usual later this year as the country plays host to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model search.

Tourism Undersecretary Kat de Castro said 18 candidates will take part in photo shoots in beach locations such as Siargao and Sorsogon, according to a report by Business Mirror published Wednesday.

The report added that one of the candidates in the model search is Olivia Jordan, who finished runner-up to Pia Wurtzbach in Miss Universe in 2015.

The winner will be featured on the pages of Sports Illustrated’s popular Swimsuit issue.

Other models who have appeared on the cover are also expected to visit the Philippines this year. Chrissy Teigen, Kate Upton, and Esti Ginzburg are among those who previously did photo shoots for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue in the country.

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Jake Cuenca clarifies rant about local magazines

MANILA – Jake Cuenca clarified that he was not pertaining to any particular celebrity when he ranted about his disappointment over local magazines.

Through a Twitter post three weeks ago, Cuenca questioned the decision of magazines in the Philippines in featuring “people who could sell rather than having people who can actually influence fashion.”

“I don’t want to make it bigger than what it is. That’s my opinion. Take it or leave it. Wala namang personal. Wala lang, I was just looking at magazines tapos ganun ang naging reaction ko,” he said.

Cuenca stressed that he has nothing against Kathryn Bernardo or Daniel Padilla, who appeared on the cover of Yes magazine’s most beautiful stars issue, which came out on the same day he ranted on Twitter.

“I was not mentioning any single actor. I wasn’t going off about actors or celebrities. I was talking about magazines. At the end of the day, alam ba ng mga tao kung gaano kami ka-close ni DJ? Okay kaming dalawa nun. I’m not pertaining to any celebrity,” he said.

Cuenca said he was just “pushing for people to be more creative.”

“Is it so bad for someone to react to something, especially I’m an actor? But like I said, opinion ko lang 'yun,” he said.

Cuenca is currently part of the ABS-CBN daytime series “Ikaw Lang ang Iibigin,” which also stars Kim Chiu, Gerald Anderson and Coleen Garcia.

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Steve Jobs' widow takes stake in Atlantic magazine

WASHINGTON - An organization led by the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs announced Friday it was taking a majority stake in The Atlantic, a prestigious 160-year-old cultural magazine.

The Emerson Collective, founded and run by Laurene Powell Jobs, agreed to a deal that includes the flagship magazine, digital properties, the events business, and consulting services.

Atlantic Media chairman David Bradley will continue to hold a minority stake and retain other properties in the group which include the online news site Quartz and National Journal Group.

Bradley will also continue to run The Atlantic for at least the next three to five years, after which Emerson may acquire his stake under the deal, a statement said.

"What a privilege it is to partner with David Bradley and become a steward of The Atlantic, one of the country's most important and enduring journalistic institutions," said Powell Jobs in the statement.

"The Atlantic was co-founded 160 years ago by a group of abolitionists including Ralph Waldo Emerson, who is a primary inspiration for our own work at Emerson Collective."

Bradley said separately in a letter to staff: "Against the odds, The Atlantic is prospering. While I will stay at the helm some years, the most consequential decision of my career now is behind me: who next will take stewardship of this 160-year-old national treasure? To me, the answer, in the form of Laurene, feels incomparably right."

Founded in Boston as the Atlantic Monthly, the magazine has been known as a literary and cultural publication. It published writings of Mark Twain as well as Martin Luther King Jr's 1963 defense of civil disobedience in "Letter from Birmingham Jail."

Bradley acquired the magazine in 1999 from magnate Mortimer Zuckerman and later moved its headquarters to Washington.

The Emerson Collective created by Powell Jobs, 53, works on education, immigration reform, the environment and other social justice initiatives and has investments in film and television production companies as well as nonprofit journalism organizations.

She and her family have an estimated net worth of some $20 billion, according to Forbes magazine, largely from shares in Apple following the 2011 death of Steve Jobs.

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LOOK: Kim, Gerald show off toned bodies in mag cover

MANILA – Former couple Gerald Anderson and Kim Chiu graced the cover of a local fashion magazine where they showed off their perfectly toned bodies.

For the April 2017 issue of Metro magazine, Anderson can be seen shirtless, with Chiu wearing a short pair of black shorts and a cream colored crop top just enough to show her toned abs.

According to the magazine, the two talked about their "fast-paced lifestyle, their new teleserye, and everything in between.”

Chiu and Anderson are the lead stars of the upcoming ABS-CBN series “Ikaw Lang Ang Iibigin.” 

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The mysterious nun in 'Seklusyon' is the newest FHM cover girl

FHM Philippines dubbed "Seklusyon" star Phoebe Walker as the "next big thing" in the indie filmmaking scene as they unveiled the actress as their newest cover girl.

Walker, who won Best Supporting Actress at the Metro Manila Film Festival 2016 for her portrayal of an enigmatic nun in Erik Matti's devil-infested film, is pictured in a chest-baring black bodice.

Speaking with the magazine, Walker said her unexpected win --defeating the likes of Mercedes Cabral, Cai Cortez, and Gladys Reyes for the acting nod-- has led to her receiving numerous criticisms.

"So far, bashing is what I cannot stand, because it really gets on my nerves when people think they can say something about you," she admitted. "But then it's part of the job because you're a public icon, right?"

Aside from "Seklusyon," Walker also appeared in 2014's "The Trophy Wife" and 2015's "Gayuma." She also won an edition of "The Amazing Race Philippines."

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Ina Raymundo back on the cover of FHM

MANILA – Actress Ina Raymundo is back on the cover of FHM Philippines for its 17th anniversary.

On Monday, Raymundo was revealed as the cover girl for the March 2017 issue of the men’s magazine.

A mother of five, Raymundo exuded confidence as she posed on the cover wearing a revealing black outfit.

In an interview with the magazine, Raymundo talked about how she “nurtures her innate sensuality.”

“I’m so in touch with my inner sexuality. I’ve always had it since I was a little girl. I’m not kidding. I’m a very sexual person, but I manage it. I’ve always been aware of it. I feel like the more I age, it becomes stronger. It’s in me,” she said.

“People notice my sensuality in the way I move or in the way I flip my hair, even when I’m not totally conscious of it. It’s definitely not a weakness. That is a kind of power. I’ve never been in denial of it. But remember that you always have to use it wisely. Don’t abuse it, but don’t ignore or feel ashamed about it either. You can have that power and no one even needs to know that you’re in possession of it,” she added.

It was in October 2015 when Raymundo last appeared on the cover of FHM Philippines.

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LOOK: Kate Upton on SI swimsuit cover is the gift that keeps on giving

The 2017 SI Swimsuit Covers have been revealed. Welcome back, @KateUpton! Follow the link for more photos and video https://t.co/4cszjybbVp pic.twitter.com/y7TguJdPVD

 — SI Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) February 15, 2017

 For the third time, Kate Upton is gracing the cover of this year's Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, the model and part-time actress told "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Tuesday night.

Upton was also on the cover in 2012 and 2013.

Here is the official promotional video produced by SI if still images aren't enough to satisfy your curiosity. You're welcome, fellas.

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Supermodel Christie Brinkley, 63, back in swimsuit in Sports Illustrated

Supermodel Christie Brinkley, 63, has become the oldest woman to appear in the famous swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated, posing in a red bikini and black one-piece alongside her daughters.

The annual magazine, which typically features young women with the impossible-to-attain perfections of fashion models, is legendary in the United States, where it sold 785,000 copies in 2014 on its 50th anniversary.

Over the years, it has nevertheless sought to challenge the often criticized monopoly of young, white models projected by the fashion industry in general.


Christie Brinkley is back in a bikini (and she's brought two very special guests)! https://t.co/ODeeuhXCms pic.twitter.com/8v2v1Wwfy3

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 7, 2017
 
Model Tyra Banks became the first black woman to appear on the cover in 1997. Athletes such as tennis champion Serena Williams and mixed martial arts fighter Ronda Rousey have also been photographed for the magazine.

First spotted in a post office in Paris aged 19, Michigan-born Brinkley appeared in the magazine eight times between 1975 to 2004, and a record three consecutive times on its cover in 1979, 1980 and 1981.

For the February 15 edition, which comes out days after Brinkley celebrated her 63rd birthday, she is joined by her daughters Sailor Brinkley Cook, 18, and Alexa Ray Joel, 31, whose father is singer Billy Joel.

"Thank you Sports Illustrated for sending the powerful message that good things come in packages of every size and we do not come with an expiration date!" she wrote on her Instagram page.

The magazine said on its website that the four-times married Brinkley proved that "age is nothing more than a number."

"My first thought was, 'At my age? No way!'" the model told People magazine. "When I turned 30, I was like, 'This is the last time I'm posing in a bathing suit!' When this issue comes out, I'll be 63. I thought, 'Those days are over.'

"But to get to do it with my girls, I thought, 'One last go!' "

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Time names Trump its 2016 'Person of the Year'

Time Magazine has named U.S. President-elect Donald Trump Person of the Year, citing the upheaval in American politics brought about by the election campaign and victory of the New York businessman.

"It’s hard to measure the scale of his disruption," Time said in its announcement on Wednesday, noting Trump's eclectic career as real estate magnate and reality television star before winning the highest office in the land.

"For those who believe this is all for the better, Trump’s victory represents a long-overdue rebuke to an entrenched and arrogant governing class," it said.

The magazine said its short list included Trump's rival in the 2016 presidential race, Democrat Hillary Clinton, as well as Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan and singer Beyonce.

"It's a great honor, it means a lot," Trump told NBC's "Today" show in an interview shortly after the announcement.

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Nude-free Playboy hits iTunes, Google Play

WASHINGTON - Playboy said Wednesday its nude-free magazine would be offered for the first time as Apple and Google digital subscriptions, as the iconic brand shifts to win over a new generation.

The magazine, which recently threw in the towel on nudity as part of an effort to reach a broader audience, made its debut on the iTunes and Google Play stores.

"Since introducing a brand new vision for Playboy magazine earlier this year, we have expanded our distribution channels in many powerful ways, including higher visibility on an increased number of traditional and digital media platforms," said David Israel, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Playboy Enterprises.

"Inclusion in the iTunes and Google Play stores is an important milestone for Playboy as we continue to explore opportunities to introduce our content to new audiences all over the world."

Playboy, which broke lifestyle taboos in the 1950s with bare-breasted pictures in a magazine for the mass market, unveiled "a top-to-bottom redesign" starting with its March 2016 edition.

Facing a deluge of online pornography, Playboy shifted its focus in a bid to offer lifestyle content that is "safe for work" and more widely distributed on social media.

Playboy still includes provocative pictorials of women, but without nudity, a major turnabout for the magazine which launched in 1953 with an edition featuring Marilyn Monroe.

The magazine also gained fame for its interviews of major public figures from Jimmy Carter to Fidel Castro, and fiction from writers including Vladimir Nabokov, Haruki Murakami and Margaret Atwood.

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All grown up: Liza Soberano poses for Cosmo

MANILA – The baby is now a lady.

“Dolce Amore” star Liza Soberano is the latest cover girl of Cosmopolitan Philippines, a magazine that features sex and beauty tips for modern women.

The actress is seen wearing a figure-hugging black dress on the cover of Cosmo’s July 2016 issue which was released on the magazine’s Facebook page on Tuesday.

 

Soberano, who turned 18 last January, has been featured in several fashion and beauty publications.

But this is the first time that the actress appeared on Cosmo, which is popular for its annual “bachelor bash” events.

Her love team partner, Enrique Gil, walked down the runway in the 2011 edition of Cosmo’s bachelor bash.

In January 2015, netizens reacted to the Cosmo debut of teen star Kathryn Bernardo.

Many of them noted that the actress, who is 18 at the time, is “too young” to appear in such a publication.

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LOOK: Atom Araullo looks dashing in new mag cover

MANILA - ABS-CBN reporter and host Atom Araullo looked dashing as ever as he again graces a cover of a local lifestyle magazine -- this time, for the March issue of Esquire Philippines.

On Thursday, Esquire unveiled its cover for its travel issue featuring Araullo, dubbed as a "man on the move," sporting an enormous grey coat over a combination of a white shirt, black tie, dark pants, and leather shoes.

The issue will also include an article on Araullo where he talks about the lessons he learned from his parents, and his training as a physicist and journalist, among other things.

Araullo was photography by Jason Quibilan with styling by Clifford Olanday and Muriel Vega Perez.

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WATCH: Yassi Pressman sizzles in sexy swimwear

MANILA – Actress Yassi Pressman shows off her curves as she poses in swimsuits for a women’s lifestyle magazine.

Pressman, the celebrity best friend of “On the Wings of Love” star Nadine Lustre, is the newest cover girl of Cosmopolitan Philippines.

Lustre, meanwhile, graced the cover of the magazine’s January issue.

On Monday, Cosmopolitan Philippines released a video of Pressman posing by the pool wearing colorful swimwear.


Pressman is part of the hit 2014 movie “Diary ng Panget,” which also starred Lustre, James Reid and Andre Paras.

A video showing her dancing to “Twerk It Like Miley” went viral late last year.

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LOOK: Atom Araullo poses for travel mag

MANILA – ABS-CBN reporter and host Atom Araullo is as charming as ever as he appears on the pages of a local travel magazine.

Araullo is featured in the latest issue of Explore Philippines magazine, where he is seen posing on a motorcycle and enjoying a meal, among others.

Netizens were abuzz last month as Araullo was linked to Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach while he was interviewing her via satellite on the ABS-CBN show “Umagang Kay Ganda”.

The two had the chance to meet face-to-face when Wurtzbach visited the ABS-CBN compound.


Check out Araullo’s photos for Explore Philippines magazine which were photographed by Gabby Cantero.

Mobile users can view the desktop version of the slideshow here.

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Penthouse halts magazine after 50 years, goes digital

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FHM to cease publication

MANILA - The publisher of FHM is suspending the magazine's publication after more than 30 years in circulation, it was announced on Tuesday.

In a statement posted on its website, Bauer Media explained that "over time young men's media habits have continually moved towards mobile and social."

A report from The Guardian revealed that FHM's circulation fell to less than 67,000 for the first six months of 2015, or 20 percent less than that of the year before.

The Facebook page of FHM issued its own statement, saying: "Unfortunately it's true: it has been announced today the intention to suspend publication of FHM."

"It's been an absolute joy producing the magazine over the years. Thank you for all your support - we will keep you updated with developments over the coming weeks," it added.

Bauer Media also announced that it is suspending publication of a similar magazine called Zoo, which was launched back in 2004.

First published as "For Him Magazine" in 1985, FHM dominated the men's market during the 1990s and went on to launch a series of international editions. It is perhaps best known for its "100 Sexiest Women in the World" list.

FHM Philippines has yet to release a statement on the matter.

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Miley Cyrus poses for 'most explicit' photo shoot

MANILA – Singer Miley Cyrus shocks the public once again with what has been dubbed as various websites as her “most explicit” photo shoot yet.

The 22-year-old former Disney star is seen posing topless and making provocative gestures in a series of covers for a magazine called Candy, which is described as “celebrating transvestism, transsexuality, crossdressing and androgyny in all their glory.”

Cyrus’ photos were taken by controversial photographer Terry Richardson, who also directed the singer’s “Wrecking Ball” video.

Here’s a look at one of the “tame” covers, as posted by Cyrus on her Instagram page.



Last August, Cyrus stole the scene with her outrageous outfits at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles.

The singer wore anything from silver suspenders to a crop top shaped like eyes.

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