SI, ESPN The Mag Both See Strong Ad Sales For NFL Preview Issue

Both Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine are "reporting strong ad-page sales for their NFL Preview issue," according to Keith Kelly of the N.Y. POST. SI's September 7 issue, which hits newsstands on September 2, "carries 80 ad pages," up 45% from the '08 NFL Preview issue. SI's college football preview issue, which hit newsstands on August 10, saw ad pages up 15% from last year. Meanwhile, ESPN The Magazine has "snagged Nike with an eight-page gatefold cover," and ESPN Publishing GM & Editorial Dir Gary Hoenig said that this year's preview issue that hits newsstands on Friday with 78 ad pages will be a "few pages fatter than the same issue a year ago" (N.Y. POST, 8/26). Both SI and ESPN The Magazine saw double-digit declines in advertising revenue and ad pages during the first half of '09. The chart below shows ad revenue and ad pages for the two magazines through June, compared to same period in '08 (Publishers Information Bureau).