Sporting News ... Sold

[JayFarrar]

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2006/09/billionaire-buys-sporting-news-from-other-billionaire.php

Article says layoffs coming ...

 

[joe king]

It does? I read that story twice and didn't see that. As a matter of fact, that memo was carefully worded NOT to say layoffs are coming. Now, that doesn't mean they're not coming -- nobody would be shocked if it happens -- but the story doesn't say that.

 

[StillGreen]

I guess if you're looking for a less sarcastic take on things, there are a bunch of hits for this on Google news now.

http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2006/09/04/daily6.html

American City Business Journals buys "Sporting News" and subsidiaries
Orlando Business Journal - 11:03 AM EDT Tuesday

"Sporting News" magazine, its online and book publishing units, and Sporting News Radio Network have all been purchased by American City Business Journals Inc. of Charlotte, N.C.

American City bought the companies from Vulcan Sports Media Inc. Terms of the acquisition, expected to be completed by early October, were not disclosed.

"Sporting News" magazine, based in St. Louis, has been published without interruption since 1886. It reaches 700,000 subscribers and 3.9 million total readers weekly.

In 2000, Vulcan acquired the publishing and online units from the Times Mirror Co. and bought the radio network operations of One-on-One Sports later that year. It added online fantasy games company Small World Sports in May 2001.

Vulcan is owned by Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft. Allen & Co. represented Vulcan in the sale of "Sporting News" to American City.

Rick Allen, CEO of "Sporting News," said in a statement he believes American City has a deep knowledge of sports and media and a large audience that reinforces and extends that of "Sporting News" along with a portfolio of complementary media products.

American City publishes 41 local weekly business publications, including the "Orlando Business Journal." Through its Street & Smith's Sports division, the company is also involved in a variety of sports-related publications, including "Sports Business Journal" and "Sports Business Daily," as well as the weekly "NASCAR Scene" and monthly "NASCAR Illustrated," and several sports annuals and yearbooks.

Other American City properties include bizjournals.com, a City Business Journals Network available on the Internet; the Hemmings group of magazines for car collector enthusiasts; Biz Books; and a technology newspaper.

American City is a unit of Advance Publications.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

I believe Advance (which would include American City Business Journal) is owned by Newhouse, so maybe this is a good thing.

 

[Columbo]

I believe Advance (which would include American City Business Journal) is owned by Newhouse, so maybe this is a good thing.

It is.

Ray Shaw.

 

[BMuddMan]

Have already heard they plan to incorporate NASCAR Scene and NASCAR Illustrated writers and content into TSN's NASCAR coverage which could elbow out Spencer and Crossman. And the ill-fated NASCAR Wire Service is history as is the Sporting News Radio Network. Wonder if other sports coverage in TSN will be affected?

 

[Lollygaggers]

How will the pre-season yearbooks be affected by this? Are we going to have The Sporting News Fantasy Football magazine presented by Street and Smith's or something? Seems like a good fit overall, but there is going to be some redundancy that likely will mean less people on board.

 

[Freelance Hack]

You know what would be nice, a cross-branding between the Sports Business Journal and Sporing News.

I don't want to see them merged. Rather, I want to see some SBJ content in TSN.

 

[Armchair_QB]

How will the pre-season yearbooks be affected by this? Are we going to have The Sporting News Fantasy Football magazine presented by Street and Smith's or something? Seems like a good fit overall, but there is going to be some redundancy that likely will mean less people on board.

Great question. Unless they're committed to keeping the Sporting News brand out there I can't see a reason to produce both TSN and SnS preseason magazines.

 

[Freelance Hack]

How will the pre-season yearbooks be affected by this? Are we going to have The Sporting News Fantasy Football magazine presented by Street and Smith's or something? Seems like a good fit overall, but there is going to be some redundancy that likely will mean less people on board.

Great question. Unless they're committed to keeping the Sporting News brand out there I can't see a reason to produce both TSN and SnS preseason magazines.

It's possible that they may use the Sporting News for the fantasy sports previews and use Street and Smith's for the actual preseason magazines, capitalizing on TSN's writers for content.

 

[Gold]

From what the buyer does, it makes sense for almost every publication the Sporting News would put out...

.... except the weekly newspaper. My first thought off the top of my head is that they bought it for everything else.

 

[Claws for Concern]

If the Sporting News radio goes away, it takes Todd Wright, former late-night ESPN radio guy, off the air again. He was doing a nighttime show for them that was broadcast in Los Angeles on 1540 AM. Somebody should hire him because he's good at what he does in the time slot he's in.

 

[Twoback]

From what the buyer does, it makes sense for almost every publication the Sporting News would put out...

.... except the weekly newspaper. My first thought off the top of my head is that they bought it for everything else.

Sporting News does not put out a weekly newspaper.
It publishes a magazine.

 

[Clerk Typist]

Why buy the radio network only to shutter it? Wouldn't it make more sense to spin it off or not buy it at all? Plus, is this deal really being made on the print side to put TSN's previews out of business and change the magazine/newspaper/shell of its former self into an S&S-branded weekly or monthly publication?

 

[Gold]

From what the buyer does, it makes sense for almost every publication the Sporting News would put out...

.... except the weekly newspaper. My first thought off the top of my head is that they bought it for everything else.

Sporting News does not put out a weekly newspaper.
It publishes a magazine.

I guess I'm showing my age because I always thought of it as a newspaper because it was printed on newspaper paper. I always think of magazines as having better quality paper, although there are news magazines on television.

 

[jaredk]

FYI, Gold....Sporting News abandoned newsprint for magazine-quality stock 8, 9 yrs ago...

 

[wickedwritah]

CT, I believe Allen made any potential buyer also take on the radio network and their assorted stations.

I'm sure Newhouse/ACBJ will McClatchy the radio stations ASAP.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Whitlock bought it.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

Vulcan Sports Media, Inc.?

Fascinating.

 

[joe king]

Vulcan Sports Media, Inc.?

Fascinating.

And yet ... illogical.