Sports Illulstrated had $145.9M in ad revenue during the first quarter of '12, relatively flat compared to the same period last year, but up 8.4% from Q1 in '10, according to data from Publishers Information Bureau. The magazine was up 0.8% in ad revenue during all of '11. Meanwhile, ESPN The Magazine saw $45.8M in ad revenue in Q1, down 14.8% from the comparable period last year, but up 5.8% from Q1 '10. Runners World saw the biggest gain among major sports publications, with ad revenue up 10.9% in Q1. The gain continues a trend seen last year, when the publication saw ad revenue jump 2.7%. Golf Digest saw a sharp drop in Q1, with ad revenue down 29.4%. Listed below is Q1 ad revenue for select major sports publications, with comparisons to the same period last year (THE DAILY).
| SPORTS MAGAZINE AD REVENUE THROUGH Q1 |
| PUBLICATION | '12 | '11 | % +/- |
| Sports Illustrated | $145,937,636 | $145,329,598 | 0.4% |
| ESPN The Magazine | $45,814,481 | $53,767,407 | -14.8% |
| Golf Magazine | $38,754,864 | $37,062,750 | 4.6% |
| Golf Digest | $21,009,690 | $29,774,776 | -29.4% |
| Runners World | $18,952,147 | $17,093,645 | 10.9% |
| Golf World | $6,750,256 | $8,471,476 | -20.3% |
| Bicycling | $6,047,967 | $5,791,256 | 4.4% |
| Transworld Snowboarding | $5,708,911 | $6,251,717 | -8.7% |
| Transworld Skateboarding | $4,703,442 | $4,589,321 | 2.5% |
| Cycle World | $3,887,729 | $4,747,990 | -18.1% |
| Tennis | $2,831,468 | $3,183,708 | -11.1% |
| Transworld Motocross | $2,830,230 | $2,728,057 | 3.7% |
| Transworld Surf | $1,933,682 | $1,997,600 | -3.2% |
| SI for Kids | $1,109,300 | $1,398,600 | -20.7% |
| Sporting News* | $1,006,086 | $4,644,497 | n/a |
| Transworld Ride BMX | $656,819 | $825,863 | -20.5% |
| Transworld Wakeboarding | $506,953 | $481,819 | 5.2% |
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NOTES: * = Sporting News last October switched from bi-weekly to monthly.
