Just Ask Sports Illustrated if Sex Sells

Philip M. Stone February 21, 2005

Sports Illustrated is the leading US sports magazine. But every February it publishes a special edition called the swimsuit issue for which it is said that one in every five adult Americans somehow gets a peek. It brings in some $50 million in revenue, about five times more than a regular issue.

Back in the days when American sports did not overlap very much there was a quiet period between when basketball ended and baseball began. So in January, 1964 Sports Illustrated ran an edition with a model on the cover and six further pages of swimsuit pictures inside. And as they say in the trade, the magazine business has never been the same since.

Advertising is down a bit this year but the numbers are still impressive. Compared to last year’s 113 ad pages, this year’s edition carries “only” 107. The $35 million in ad revenue is $1.6 million less than last year. But when you throw the entire ancillary marketing the revenues are expected to reach the average $50 million the issue usually earns.

This year’s edition features 18 professional models strutting their stuff, but also some sporting stars including Venus Williams (sister Serena has appeared twice before), Australia’s basketball star Lauren Jackson and America’s softball star Jennie Finch who shows off her Gold Medal while wearing a gold bikini. Even the wives of sports stars get some of the action.

As a marketing exercise the edition is a classic on how to leverage a franchise to its full potential. Besides the magazines there are calendars, DVDs, videos, screen savers for cell phones and TV shows. To get on the TV show, and to have to have product placement, an advertiser had to buy space also in the swimsuit magazine edition. Video games should be the next big money spinner.

There are so many new men’s magazines around so how does Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue continue to stand out from the crowd? The quality stares out – obviously a lot of money is spent on the right location,the right bikini, and the right model.

This publishing phenomenon could also be explained away, if necessary, as an ideal way for men to see the year’s new bikinis all in one publication so they can later explain to their “significant other” what’s in fashion for this year’s summer holidays. And if your significant other catches you reading this year’s edition –if you have trouble finding the hardcopy there is always SportsIllustrated.com -- we wish you well with that explanation.