SI is down to just 38 issues this year

SI at 27 issues a year or ESPN The Mag at 26: who beat?

 

More than the fewer issues, I find selling out the content to the highest bidder worse. The Swimsuit Issue? fine. Now they have the Fashion Issue. And then there was the Gatorade cover thing and even the recent Neymar cover complete with a mention of the Nike gear he was wearing. When magazines mention what brand someone is wearing in a caption - they are getting paid to do so.
I figure the foray into food will do likewise. They call it "brand-extension." The fashion and celebrity mags live on it.

 

That's like those Reese's Pieces in E.T.

 

What about cig ads in ESPN? Some of the socially conscious sanctimonious people at the WWL must object to that.
ESPN at 26 or SI at 27 kind of a tossup. Prob still SI, but considering what SI used to be it's a tough call.

 

I unsubscribed from SI three decades ago when they advertised on TV: "bone crushing action!" as the video of LT sacking Theismann was shown. I even called SI's subscription people to voice my displeasure.

Not sure if they'd run an ad like that today.

 

I still have my football phone somewhere.

 

I thought ESPN magazine was once a month. Is it not? I only get it because of an Insider subscription but it comes so randomly that I just toss it in the recycle bin when I actually get it.

 

It doesn't come randomly. It comes every two weeks.

 

I do think SI should just as well put "advertorial" on some of their stuff. The book excerpts that are "surprise" followed by a full page ad in the next issue, a story about some new technology or nutrition idea from the labs of Nike or Gatorade with a (purely coincidental I'm sure) full page ad on the next page. I'm not sure the ad reps get a heads-up on what writers are working on and hit-up companies where there might be a tie-in, or the marketing people are collaborating with editors seeking out "brand-friendly" stories.

 

It appears that I am now subscribed to SI. One showed up in my mailbox at work yesterday, addressed to me. I did not subscribe to SI, so I'm not sure how I got it. Let's see if I get another one in a couple of weeks.

It's going to be interesting in February (is that the correct month) when the swimsuit issue comes out. Is the magazine going to make it through the mailroom at my campus all the way to my mailbox?

 

I think in the fine print, they say some issues count as double issues.