Ross Levinsohn has been Sports Illustrated CEO since October 2019 and has also served as Maven CEO since August 2020. The two companies have forged a strong business relationship as a result, and it is one of the reasons why Sports Illustrated has regained its place as one of the top publications in the United States.
How Has Maven Helped Sports Illustrated?
Maven is one of the most prestigious publishing companies in the world and has relationships with more than 300 key brands. These brands range from local or regional news magazines to international properties such as Maxim and History.com. Levinsohn licensed the publishing rights to Sports Illustrated to Maven until at least 2029, which has helped reduce marketing costs while increasing brand reach.
Levinsohn Made Sure to Increase the Quality of the Publication’s Content
In addition to partnering with Maven, Ross Levinsohn knew that the best way to improve the brand’s reputation was to improve the quality of its content. One of the first things that Levinsohn did as Sports Illustrated CEO was to bring in a new writing team and overhaul the editorial department. He also decided to commit more resources to creating print content as he felt that it was beneath a brand such as Sports Illustrated to only produce digital content.
How Did Ross Levinsohn Get the Sports Illustrated Job?
Ross Levinsohn wanted to work for Sports Illustrated because he loves sports and legacy brands. However, he obtained the credentials for the job by spending almost three decades working for numerous national and international companies such as HBO, CBS Sportsline and Guggenheim Digital Media. He also founded a venture capital firm in 2014 that he stayed with for three years that primarily helped tech company’s scale in a strategic manner.