LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sports Illustrated is branching out into movies and television.
Authentic Media Brands and 101 Studios announced on Tuesday that they will launch Sports Illustrated Studios as part of a joint venture between the two companies.
The studio’s first project will be a docu-series entitled “Covers.” It will explore the stories behind the magazine’s most memorable covers and what went into creating them. Five additional projects are expected to be announced over the next four weeks.
Authentic Media Brands — which also holds the licensing and trademark rights to celebrities such as Muhammad Ali, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley — acquired the licensing and marketing rights to Sports Illustrated last May from the Meredith Corporation. 101 Studios is best known for producing “Yellowstone” on the Paramount Network, which stars Kevin Costner, as well as recent films like “The Current War: Director’s Cut” and “Burden.”
The launch comes amid a global shutdown of most sports due to the coronavirus pandemic. Hungry for alternatives, broadcasters have been serving up reruns of classic games and other content, like ESPN’s hit Michael Jordan documentary, “The Last Dance.”