Time has sealed a partnership with pan-Asian sports broadcaster ASN to develop a network of channels and digital platforms across the continent that will carry the brand of the US media company’s flagship sports magazine, Sports Illustrated.
As part of the deal, the Hong Kong-based ASN and ASN2 pay-television sports channels will be rebranded as Sports Illustrated and Sports Illustrated 2, with accompanying websites and mobile applications also changing their names. The changes will occur this spring.
Time and ASN will also collaborate on “daily programming development, coverage of global sporting events and expansion of worldwide distribution across linear networks” and other platforms, the two parties said. Time will provide the infrastructure technology for the website and mobile app revamps, with the two companies working together on marketing and advertising sales.
The new platforms will feature a combination of event coverage and original programming from Sports Illustrated brands such as SI, SI Kids and FanSided. Time said that the programming would be shown around live – and in some markets, exclusive – broadcasts of sports leagues and events, including the NFL American football Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup NHL ice hockey finals and the March Madness college basketball competition.
“This groundbreaking partnership speaks to the power of all our brands—in this case Sports Illustrated—and enables us to build a significant international presence across new platforms,” Time International president Steve Marcopoto said . “Our partners at ASN have built a strong foundation, and together we look forward to creating a differentiated and compelling sports network in the most populous region in the world.”
Rich Battista, Time’s executive vice-president and president of entertainment and sports group and video, added: “There is tremendous potential for Sports Illustrated to flourish as a global sports brand. This exciting partnership will see our sports properties heavily integrated in a region of the world where the appetite for premier global sports coverage is exploding and growth opportunities abound.”