Times Mirror Interzines (TMI) "is emerging as a
cohesive network of sports sites" five months after Times
Mirror acquired InterZine's group of Web sites, according to
Beth Snyder of AD AGE. In a "key new distribution deal,"
the Sporting News Online (SNO) will provide sports coverage
to MSNBC, which will offer the co-branded news to its users.
All sports content will be linked to SNO. TMI has also
"been merging" similar sites, as the 22 sites the company
had when it acquired InterZine is down to 18, as TMI's two
snowboarding sites have been consolidated to one, as have
its two skiing sites. TMI has also landed some new
sponsors, as Ford Motor is "expanding" its ad relationship
with SNO; Dr Pepper will support SNO's college football
action; EA Sports will sponsor a Madden Football section,
IBM is sponsoring SNO's U.S. Open coverage, and Visa USA
will return as the title sponsor for pro football coverage.
While none of TMI's sites are profitable yet, TMI President
Michael Dubester "said he anticipates turning a profit in
the next year or two" (Beth Snyder, AD AGE, 8/31 issue).
