Time Inc. Launches Sports Illustrated TV

Time Inc. is launching an over-the-top (OTT) streaming network under its Sports Illustrated brand on Amazon Channels tomorrow.

Called SI TV, the network will premiere with 130 hours of on-demand programming, including five original documentary series and weekly studio shows, along with acquired sports movies, documentaries and TV shows.

SI TV is Time Inc.’s second streaming network; People TV launched in September 2016 as People/Entertainment Weekly Network.

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This is Time Inc.’s first OTT subscription-video series. SI TV’s launch was teased in May, during Time Inc.’s NewFront presentation.

SI TV won’t focus on broadcasting live games or panels discussing game highlights. Instead, Time Inc. said the goal of SI TV is storytelling, entertainment and analysis.

Sports Illustrated TV is a new home for sports lovers who want to go beyond sports highlights and heated debates with distinctive, immersive and entertaining original programming curated through the trusted Sports Illustrated lens,” stated Rich Battista, president and CEO of Time Inc.

Time Inc.’s sports producers and editorial staff will develop original SI TV shows at Time Inc.’s production facility, including interviews with athletes such as Julio Jones, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Conor McGregor and Ricky Williams.

The “Original Series” section of SI TV will also feature Sports Illustrated Swimsuit content exclusive to the streaming network. For example, a series on the first open casting call model search for the 2018 SI Swimsuit issue in February, and an archive of SI Swimsuit shows going back to 1994.

Amazon Prime members in the U.S. can subscribe to Sports Illustrated TV for a seven-day free trial, then pay $4.99 a month for access to the content. The videos are available through the Prime Video app on TVs, streaming media players, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick and Fire tablets or online.

Also, SI TV has locked down deals with Mike Tollin, co-chair of Mandalay Sports Media, and Emmy winner Jonathan Hock for two different sports documentary projects. They are slated for release in the first and second halves of 2018.

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