SI is projecting an 8% increase in "advertising revenue this year from its Swimsuit properties, extending a wave of growth for the franchise," according to Eric Fisher of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. Today's release of the annual magazine will be "joined by a battery of multiplatform extensions, including content for the iPhone, iPad and Android, Kindle and Nook platforms, additional material on SI.com and a making-of TV special tomorrow night on VH1." SI execs said that the company has "registered solid growth in its Swimsuit business metrics the last three years." However, this year's increase is "smaller than last year's." SI will "gain 55 percent of its Swimsuit advertising revenue this year from print, 31 percent from online, 10 percent from experiential and event marketing, and 5 percent from inventory within smartphone and tablet applications." The split is "similar to last year, though apps moved up from a negligible share in 2011." The print edition of this year's magazine will "contain 211 pages overall," 82 of which will be ads. The number of ad pages is "down by four from last year but up by five" from '10. Several athletes are "again part of the Swimsuit edition," includes U.S. women's national soccer team F Alex Morgan and Gold Medal-winning U.S. swimmer Natalie Coughlin (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 2/13 issue).
UPTON GIRL: Kate Upton will appear on the cover of this year's SI Swimsuit Issue, which was revealed on last night’s edition of CBS’ “Late Show.” The show had a camera outside filming a large billboard on Broadway that featured the next cover model but was covered by a large tarp with “Late Show with David Letterman” emblazoned on it. Host David Letterman asked a show staffer midway through the broadcast, “Why do have to wait until later? Why can’t we just do it now?” The staffer responded, “The girls aren’t ready.” Laughing, Letterman replied, “Well, the minute the girls are ready someone please let me know.” As the 10 models who read the “Top Ten” list were sitting in the Green Room, Letterman spoke with them and said, “It’s nights like this I wish we had a ‘Top Twenty.’” Letterman asked the girls, “When the winner is announced, will you all act like you’re happy but really be steamed? Will you do me a favor? When we announce the winner, will the other nine of you storm out? Turn over the furniture … (and) wreck the place” (“Late Show,” CBS, 2/13).
