SI parent company Time Inc. is making a large entry into the youth sports and registration space with the acquisition of three companies that will form the base of a new operating unit called SI Play, according to industry sources. Time Inc. is purchasing SportsSignup, a New York-based company that performs online registration services for a large variety of youth and amateur sports organizations; Tampa-based League Athletics, a similar outfit; and iScore Sports, a developer of mobile scoring applications for baseball and softball, basketball, and football. The creation of SI Play continues a run of activity for Time Inc. and SI this year that also includes the acquisition of the FanSided Network, the creation of a documentary-films unit and a collaborative relationship with Jay Z' digital venture Life + Times. Financial terms for the latest set of deals were not disclosed. The SI Play unit, representing a rare move by a sports media entity into registration services, will be run by Jeff Karp, formerly a senior exec with Electronic Arts and Zynga.
