Flagship sports publication to enter mobile gambling sector

One of the most respected sports media names in the US industry, Sports Illustrated, is to embrace the trend toward mobile, fantasy sports and gambling as part of a major revamp, according to the publication Mashable.

The flagship asset of parent company Time Inc., says that it wants to be part of the move by consumers to mobile, which has been followed by the advertising dollars so essential to profitability.

“We want to build a successful mobile plan so that the consumer will consume our content across any device including desktop and come away with a positive experience with the right advertising built into it,” SI publisher Brendan Ripp told Mashable

SI holds a special place in American media as the home of outstanding sports journalism and photography, attributes that have helped the magazine collect major awards and become the largest circulation sports magazine, with around 3.1 million weekly copies.

SI is also involved in 120 Sports, a new mobile sports video offering set to go live on Wednesday.

The revamp is the brainchild of Time Inc chief exec Joe Ripp, who has brought the different divisions of the magazine together in planning the new look and additional activity.

The publication is relaunching its Fan Nation vertical with a new daily fantasy app, built in conjunction with development company TopLine Game Labs, that allows users to challenge friends to single-day matchups and put real money on the line.

Fantasy sport is often played with money involved, usually in a tournament format where players pay an entry fee and the winner/winners are paid from the prize pool. The action can take place over a season or the more recently popular single day events.

In capitalising on this trend SI’s new app allows players to challenge friends to make simple fantasy matchups and bet real money, with the publication taking an undisclosed percentage of each bet.

Bringing in revenue through native ads and fantasy betting mark a stark departure from the magazine’s storied past, Mashable notes.