Sports Illustrated

[don]

from the macro to the micro, a case in point . . .

I dropped my subscription to SI about a year ago and have round-filed all their re-sub offers until now. The latest was so incredibly cheap I went with it - 56 cents a copy, which must be below their mailing costs. Now I've been offered a one-year extension to the original one-year sub, at the same 56 cents a copy. Is SI pulling in all the cash it can before going under? Is this a micro snapshot of what to expect as we circle the drain . . . .

[lektrode]

Re: Sports Illustrated

could be just a ploy to rev up ad rates: give-away rates on subscriptions to increase paid circ?

[BadJuju]

Re: Sports Illustrated

Who reads magazines these days? Printed media is going the way of the Dodo. And good riddance.

[sunpearl71]

Re: Sports Illustrated

I would say sports magazines can hold out for slightly longer, due to their pictorial content such as action photos, posters etc.

[don]

Re: Sports Illustrated

could be just a ploy to rev up ad rates: give-away rates on subscriptions to increase paid circ?

I think that's always been a part of the operation but never at this lost leader rate.

In related news, I keep a regular supply of pro matting material for my photography work. My on-line distributor now answers the phone with a host of company names that have been conglomerated into one. My modest order is running over 6 months late and last time I called i was reamed out by their "customer service" rep. The hollowing out continues . . . .

(hope you're doing okay, Lek, out in the real world)

[ProdigyofZen]

Re: Sports Illustrated

from the macro to the micro, a case in point . . .

I dropped my subscription to SI about a year ago and have round-filed all their re-sub offers until now. The latest was so incredibly cheap I went with it - 56 cents a copy, which must be below their mailing costs. Now I've been offered a one-year extension to the original one-year sub, at the same 56 cents a copy. Is SI pulling in all the cash it can before going under? Is this a micro snapshot of what to expect as we circle the drain . . . .

I subscribe to ESPN Insider online and because of this they mail me ESPN the Magazine every month. I toss them because the same stories they have in the magazine I can read online.

[c1ue]

Re: Sports Illustrated

I dropped my subscription to SI about a year ago and have round-filed all their re-sub offers until now. The latest was so incredibly cheap I went with it - 56 cents a copy, which must be below their mailing costs. Now I've been offered a one-year extension to the original one-year sub, at the same 56 cents a copy. Is SI pulling in all the cash it can before going under? Is this a micro snapshot of what to expect as we circle the drain . . . .

My guess is that SI the snail mail magazine has to keep up circulation numbers - much like a newspaper. Falling below certain thresholds means you lock out larger advertising clients.

There are also significant behavioral differences between online and physical print ads: an online ad can be switched out at every refresh. Physical print ads can't. Online ads have clickthroughs, but these are qualitatively different than physical print ad coupons or offers (which are used to gauge ad reach).

[don]

Re: Sports Illustrated

My guess is that SI the snail mail magazine has to keep up circulation numbers - much like a newspaper. Falling below certain thresholds means you lock out larger advertising clients.

There are also significant behavioral differences between online and physical print ads: an online ad can be switched out at every refresh. Physical print ads can't. Online ads have clickthroughs, but these are qualitatively different than physical print ad coupons or offers (which are used to gauge ad reach).

c1ue, do you think we'll see a transition from print to internet, with the content coming from the latter and not "reprinted" from the former, which is mostly the case today.

[BadJuju]

Re: Sports Illustrated

I absolutely think so. Magazines are a dying breed. Few people want to pay money for content when they can get it on the Internet for free and with far greater convenience.

[lektrode]

Re: Sports Illustrated

I absolutely think so. Magazines are a dying breed. Few people want to pay money for content when they can get it on the Internet for free and with far greater convenience.

depends on the content duu'de... esp 'images and pictorial matter', then its all about the number of pixels - and when it comes to
viewing stuff like this ? (sittin in the 'library' esp ;)

it gets kinda hard.... ummm... err....difficult... to beat... uhhhh.... surpass... a print mag centerfold vs say a 4.5" screen on a smartfone, eh?

and i'm survivin, don - the late spring skiing wasnt all that good this year tho....

[don]

Re: Sports Illustrated

I know you're a survivor, pal.

[c1ue]

Re: Sports Illustrated

c1ue, do you think we'll see a transition from print to internet, with the content coming from the latter and not "reprinted" from the former, which is mostly the case today.

It depends on your time frame.

In your lifetime, certainly not.

In my lifetime, probably not.

In some unforeseeable future, maybe.

As I noted above, the issue is profitability. Internet publications still do not show anywhere near the pricing of print. There are some organizations right now that are seeking a working hybrid model between the two, but thus far the only ones generating any profit (note: not the same as equal or greater profit) than print are essentially just charging different fees for the same content - as you noted.

The sales dynamic for print is also different. Magazines which achieve a certain threshold get bought in bulk and put into stores. Once in the stores, they have the chance to be bought by otherwise not regular readers. There is nothing similar on the Internet - the closest analogue I can think of would be the various linkbait sites. You know, the 50 hottest ladies in soccer or whatever - which pump up their pageviews and unique accesses by slide shows of titillating teasers.

[BadJuju]

Re: Sports Illustrated

You know, the 50 hottest ladies in soccer or whatever - which pump up their pageviews and unique accesses by slide shows of titillating teasers.

Dat ESPN body issue with Alicia Sacramone.