The Sporting News will become a "key provider" of sports
news information for America Online, following a "unique" and
"sweeping" agreement made between Times Mirror Magazines and the
Vienna, VA-based online service. As part of the deal, Times
Mirror and AOL are in discussions on how the publishing company
can help provide content for AOL's Global Network Navigator on
the Web. Times Mirror and AOL will combine in some efforts to
push ad sales for both AOL and Times Mirror's Web sites. The two
organizations also plan to build "new AOL online communities"
based on leisure activities, utilizing the editorial experience
of other Times Mirror publications such as Golf Magazine, Ski,
and Field & Stream. Times Mirror Magazines President and CEO
Efrem Zimbalist III: "This relationship positions Times Mirror
Magazines as a major online publisher reaching a dramatically
larger new market with significant opportunities for our
advertisers" (AOL). Mark Newman, Asst Managing Editor for The
Sporting News, has been given editorial responsibility for
shaping the online product, which will include up-to-the-second
scores of major events, game recaps, features, columns and box
scores. Sporting News Editor John Rawlings emphasized the
commitment of TSN to focused coverage and cited their tailored
coverage of MLB teams as an "editorial success" (TSN, 3/25
issue).
