SI and Wired magazine have struck an agreement to collaborate on a five-month editorial project entitled “SB 100” that will look at the future of football over the next 50 years. A 10-part series encompassing both magazines will explore the future of pertinent themes such as player safety, evolution in on-field gameplay, fan experience, training and exercise science, and data and analytics. More than 60 pieces of original content are planned between now and February ’16, and the project will involve digital and video extensions in addition to each title’s respective print editions. Each piece of content will run on both SI and Wired platforms. The project will begin this month with stories comparing Texans DE J.J. Watt’s current training regimen with the future of sports medicine and culminate with a Steve Rushin-penned game story of Super Bowl 100 in the form of reported fiction. “This is a natural collaboration between two brands whose strengths complement one another perfectly,” said SI Group Editor Paul Fichtenbaum. “Our curiosity, creativity, and knowledge of football will lead to storytelling in unexpected and surprising ways.” Gatorade and Microsoft have signed on as presenting sponsors for the project. SI and Wired sold the sponsorships jointly, but revenue to each media outlet was billed separately to account for their differences in audience reach.
