Live from New York, It's SI Now!
You don't have to admit it because we already know—you can't get enough of sports. That's why you read SPORTS ILLUSTRATED and go to SI.com. That's why you watch the games and why the ensuing discussions—Wow, another blown call by the ump! Did LeBron really block that shot? The NFL draft is now being held in ... May?—play out on every imaginable platform with a sometimes frenzied and maniacal passion. We also know that you appreciate expert perspective and analysis, as well as a side order of entertainment. To that end, we're about to make your lunchtime (or late breakfast, for our friends on the West Coast) a lot more interesting.
This week SI.com debuted a new, daily live-streaming talk show called SI Now Powered by Ford, which will run weekdays from 1 to 1:30 p.m. ET through the end of October and be front and center on the site's home page. The show will be a mix of breaking news, analysis, in-depth reporting on bubbling topics, casual roundtable conversations featuring SI writers like Peter King and Chris Mannix, and interviews with tastemakers and power brokers across the sports and entertainment landscape. (The first week will showcase an eclectic group of guests including NBC's Willie Geist, Julius Erving, SI Swimsuit model Chrissy Teigen, Laila Ali and retired Super Bowl--winning receiver Amani Toomer.) SI Now will also have strong social underpinnings that allow you to shape the daily topics and conversations. Tell us what you want our experts to discuss at @SInowLIVE and we'll do it.
All of these moving parts will be orchestrated by SI Video anchor Maggie Gray, who is as comfortable debating the merits of Geno Smith's draft status as she is dealing with sensitive social issues such as the sexuality of athletes. Ian Orefice, the executive producer for news and sports at Time Inc., who came to SI three years ago from CNN to start our video operations, will be behind the scenes making sure the broadcast runs smoothly and seamlessly. "We've honed our live concept over the past few months," says SI.com managing editor Matt Bean. "But our first forays were anything but beta tests, with SI Swimsuit, March Madness and the NFL draft all taking a turn. We couldn't have been happier with the results. SI Now is the next leap forward."
SI Now will be produced in our studio in New York City, but the show will occasionally go on the road to major sporting events. Beginning on Monday, June 10, for instance, SI Now will broadcast every day from the Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., site of the U.S. Open. While we'll be sure to keep a close eye on any possible Tiger-Sergio dustups on the green, the show's content mix will be the usual multisport buffet. And if you miss the live web broadcasts, fear not: They will also be available on demand, with segments woven across SI.com.
"There's an immediacy to our live show that'll be shot through the entire conversation, including comments, questions and reactions our readers will provide through Twitter and our real-time comments platform," says Orefice. "Launching a show at 1 p.m.—our version of prime time—lets you check in with our experts every day, elevating not only our reporters but also our brand."
We're confident once you tune in, you'll agree.
The show's strong social underpinnings will allow viewers to shape the daily topics and conversations.
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CHAD MATTHEW CARLSON FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (FICHTENBAUM)
GOING VIRAL Orefice (left) and Gray (above, stripes) launched Time Inc.'s first regular, live web series with (from left) Mannix, Geist and King on its inaugural broadcast.
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ERICK W. RASCO/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
[See caption above]