CBS Sports

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 1:44pm on Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

On August 31, 2009, CBS Interactive and The Sports Illustrated Group announced a partnership in which they will share and distribute many digital and print assets, combining strengths from two major sports media brands.

MaxPreps.com, a CBS web site covering high school sports, will now be featured in SI.com's High School section front, as well as become the engine for the iconic Sports Illustrated Faces in the Crowd franchise both in print and digital.

Select Sports Illustrated writers, including David Feherty and Seth Davis, will be syndicated across the CBS Sports website.

CBSSports.com will feature direct links across its site to SI.com's award-winning writers, including Peter King and Tom Verducci. SI.com will promote live sports video on CBSSports.com such as SEC Live and Fantasy Football Today.

"We're thrilled to be partnering with Sports Illustrated for a deal that truly highlights the strengths of two very powerful brands in sports media," said Jason Kint, Senior Vice President and General Manager, CBSSports.com. "The increased exposure for MaxPreps.com through its association with Faces in the Crowd, as well as the content sharing with Sports Illustrated writers on CBSSports.com, should truly be a winning combination for both sides."

"The prospect of teaming some of the assets of The Sports Illustrated Group with CBSSports.com is truly exciting," said SI.com Managing Editor, Paul Fichtenbaum. "The combination will provide an outstanding service to users as well as shine a brighter light on our collective efforts."

Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd is one of the most recognized franchises in sports media. Many of the greatest athletes in the last 50 years came to national attention first in this feature. Former Faces include Lew Alcindor, Earvin Johnson, Jackie Joyner Kersee, Jack Nicklaus, Andy Roddick, Ben Roethlisberger, Emmitt Smith, Bill Walton, and Tiger Woods.

Eric Kallgren    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 9:34pm on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

Major sports coverage is a huge draw and a big moneymaker for CBS Sports, BusinessWeek reported on April 15, 2009:

"What's that again about Old Media being clueless about the digital world? Not when it comes to online streaming of big sports bonanzas, such as golf's just-completed Masters Tournament or the NCAA's March Madness basketball championship tournament. For the 63-game March Madness roundball tournament alone, CBS (CBS) raked in $30 million from such advertisers as AT&T (T), Coca-Cola (KO), and Pontiac (GM) as 7.5 million college basketball fans streamed games on their personal computers, iPhones, and other digital devices.

Better yet, CBS scored big where it matters most, turning a profit that has so far eluded most old-line media's net game. Entertainment sites such as Hulu, a joint venture between NBC (GE) and Fox (NWS), have yet to turn a profit despite huge traffic for its free, advertiser-supported viewing of TV shows. CBS, which paid an estimated $571 million this year to televise the NCAA tournament, says it turned a tidy online profit, although it won't say how much. Ditto for the Masters. "I'd get a wedgie around here if they weren't," says CBS Interactive President Quincy Smith."