Sports Illustrated today will debut a substantially reworked mobile website, representing one of the first major projects of Jim DeLorenzo, new SI.com vice president and general manager.
Though a regular fixture among the most-trafficked U.S. sports websites, SI’s smartphone presence to date has been lacking in function and design compared with many of its competitors.
The rebuilt SI mobile product features much more photography and multimedia, additional touch-screen functionality, content synchronization with the online version of SI.com that did not previously exist, and sharply heightened social media and commenting features.
Also new to the SI mobile destination is a live game-tracking feature, Game Flash, that previously was available only on the personal computer version of the site. In addition to taking fuller advantage of advancing smartphone hardware technologies, the new site also is being seen by SI executives as a means to broaden its overall digital traffic patterns beyond traditional weekday high points.
“This is going to provide a much fuller and deeper experience that our readers have come to expect,” said DeLorenzo, hired in May after prior posts at Octagon Digital, CBS Local Media and AOL.
Lexus has signed on as a presenting sponsor of the mobile site relaunch. The new destination is a forerunner to rebuilt SI iPhone and Android mobile applications expected before Christmas.
The current SI mobile efforts are focused on smartphones, as the company established an early leadership position on tablets with its digital delivery of the print magazine.
