Sports Illustrated, a popular American sports magazine, is going through a tough time. The company that publishes the magazine lost its license to do so, which means there might be a lot of people losing their jobs. The owner of Sports Illustrated, Authentic Brands Group, says that the magazine will still exist, but there are some negotiations happening about who will publish it.

Sports Illustrated has been around since 1954 and is well-known for its sports journalism. It’s famous for using sports to talk about bigger issues in society. Athletes always wanted to be on the cover of the magazine, and people loved talking about its swimsuit issues. But like many other print magazines, Sports Illustrated has been struggling because more and more people are reading and advertising online.

Authentic Brands Group bought Sports Illustrated in 2019 for $110 million. They recently told the company that publishes the magazine, Arena Group, that they want to cancel their deal because Arena didn’t pay them $3.75 million. Authentic Brands Group says they want to keep the magazine’s legacy alive. Arena Group says they will keep making the magazine until the licensing issue is resolved, but they owe Authentic Brands Group $45 million because of the cancellation.

Arena Group also publishes other magazines like Men’s Journal and Parade. They had some trouble last year when it was discovered that Sports Illustrated published articles made by a computer. They took down the articles and investigated, and it turned out another company they worked with was responsible. Some executives got fired because of it. Arena Group recently announced that they are cutting over 100 jobs because they have a lot of debt and missed payments.

The people who work at Sports Illustrated are worried about what will happen to the magazine. They want Authentic Brands Group to make sure it keeps getting published. Arena Group is trying to find another company to buy them. The company’s shares used to be worth over $9, but now they’re worth less than $1.

Original news source: Sports Illustrated in further turmoil after AI scandal (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary

Instructions: Have students read the article individually and then summarize the main points in their own words. They can then share their summaries with a partner or small group and discuss any differences or similarities.

– Opinion Poll

Instructions: Divide the class into small groups and have them discuss their opinions on the future of print magazines, specifically Sports Illustrated. Each group should come up with three questions related to the topic and then conduct an opinion poll within the class. After collecting the data, each group should present their findings and discuss the results as a class.

– Sketch It

Instructions: Pair up students and give each pair a section of the article. They should then work together to create a visual representation of the information in their section. This can be done through drawings, diagrams, or even a comic strip. Afterward, each pair can present their visual representation to the class and explain how it relates to the article.

– Vocabulary Pictionary

Instructions: Create a list of key vocabulary words from the article and write each word on a separate card. Divide the class into teams and have one student from each team come up to the front of the class. Show the student a card with a vocabulary word and they must draw a picture to represent the word. Their team members must then guess the word based on the drawing. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Think-Pair-Share

Instructions: Pose a discussion question related to the article, such as “Do you think print magazines will become obsolete in the future?” Give students a few minutes to think about their answer individually, then have them pair up with a partner to discuss their thoughts. Afterward, open up the discussion to the whole class and have students share their ideas and reasoning.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. How long has Sports Illustrated been around?
2. What is Sports Illustrated famous for?
3. Why has Sports Illustrated been struggling recently?
4. How much did Authentic Brands Group buy Sports Illustrated for?
5. Why does Authentic Brands Group want to cancel their deal with Arena Group?
6. What happened when it was discovered that Sports Illustrated published articles made by a computer?
7. Why is Arena Group cutting over 100 jobs?
8. What are the employees of Sports Illustrated worried about?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Sports (1)______, a popular American sports magazine, is going through a tough time. The company that publishes the magazine lost its (2)______ to do so, which means there might be a lot of people (3)______ their jobs. The owner of Sports Illustrated, Authentic Brands Group, says that the magazine will still exist, but there are some negotiations happening about who will publish it.

Sports Illustrated has been around since 1954 and is well-known for its sports journalism. It’s famous for (4)______ sports to talk about bigger issues in society. Athletes always wanted to be on the (5)______ of the magazine, and people loved talking about its swimsuit issues. But like many other print magazines, (6)______ Illustrated has been struggling because more and more people are reading and advertising online.

Authentic Brands (7)______ bought Sports Illustrated in 2019 for $110 million. They recently told the company that publishes the magazine, Arena Group, that they want to (8)______ their deal because Arena didn’t pay them $3.75 million. (9)______ Brands Group says they want to keep the magazine’s legacy (10)______. Arena Group says they will keep (11)______ the magazine until the licensing issue is resolved, but they owe Authentic Brands Group $45 million because of the cancellation.

Arena Group also publishes other magazines like Men’s Journal and Parade. They had some trouble last year when it was discovered that Sports Illustrated published (12)______ made by a computer. They took down the articles and investigated, and it turned out another company they worked with was (13)______. Some executives got fired because of it. (14)______ Group recently announced that they are cutting over 100 jobs because they have a lot of debt and missed payments.

The people who work at Sports Illustrated are worried about what will happen to the magazine. They want Authentic Brands Group to make sure it keeps getting published. Arena Group is (15)______ to find another company to buy them. The company’s shares used to be (16)______ over $9, but now they’re worth less than $1.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is Sports Illustrated and why is it famous?
2. How do you think the employees of Sports Illustrated feel about the company losing its license?
3. Do you think it’s fair for Authentic Brands Group to cancel their deal with Arena Group because of unpaid money? Why or why not?
4. How do you think the employees of Arena Group feel about losing their jobs?
5. How would you feel if you were an athlete and you were featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated?
6. Do you think print magazines are becoming less popular? Why or why not?
7. What do you think about the idea of using sports to talk about bigger issues in society?
8. How do you think the employees of Sports Illustrated feel about the possibility of the magazine being bought by another company?
9. Do you like reading magazines? Why or why not?
10. How do you think the employees of Arena Group feel about the company’s financial troubles?
11. What do you think about the use of artificial intelligence to create articles for magazines?
12. How would you feel if you were a subscriber to Sports Illustrated and the magazine stopped being published?
13. Do you think it’s important for companies to adapt to the changing ways people consume media? Why or why not?
14. How do you think the employees of Sports Illustrated feel about the uncertainty surrounding the magazine’s future?
15. What do you think the future holds for print magazines?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. tough
2. negotiations
3. journalism
4. legacy
5. struggling
6. licensing
7. cancellation
8. executives
9. debt
10. investigated
11. executives
12. shares
13. published
14. authentic
15. resolved

Meanings:
(A) Money that is owed to others
(B) Something left behind by someone that is remembered
(C) Real or genuine
(D) Discussions aimed at reaching an agreement
(E) The work of collecting, writing, and reporting news stories
(F) Pieces of ownership in a company that can be bought and sold
(G) Settled or found a solution to a problem
(H) The official permission to do or own something
(I) Made available to the public, usually in print or online
(J) Hard or difficult
(K) Looked into carefully to find out the truth
(L) People who are in charge of running a company
(M) The act of ending an agreement or plan
(N) Having a hard time; facing difficulties
(O) People who are in charge of running a company
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the company that owns Sports Illustrated?
(a) Authentic Brands Group
(b) Arena Group
(c) Men’s Journal
(d) Parade

2. When was Sports Illustrated first established?
(a) 2019
(b) 110 million
(c) Last year
(d) 1954

3. Why has Sports Illustrated been struggling?
(a) They lost their license to publish the magazine
(b) Authentic Brands Group canceled their deal
(c) More people are reading and advertising online
(d) Arena Group owes them $45 million

4. What is Sports Illustrated famous for?
(a) Publishing articles made by a computer
(b) Using sports to talk about bigger issues in society
(c) Owning Men’s Journal and Parade
(d) Cutting over 100 jobs

5. How much did Authentic Brands Group buy Sports Illustrated for?
(a) $3.75 million
(b) $110 million
(c) $45 million
(d) Less than $1

6. What did Arena Group do when they discovered that Sports Illustrated published articles made by a computer?
(a) Fired some executives
(b) Cut over 100 jobs
(c) Found another company to buy them
(d) Took down the articles and investigated

7. Why are the people who work at Sports Illustrated worried?
(a) Arena Group owes them $45 million
(b) Authentic Brands Group canceled their deal
(c) They are unsure if the magazine will continue to be published
(d) They are cutting over 100 jobs

8. What is the current value of Arena Group’s shares?
(a) Less than $1
(b) Over $9
(c) $110 million
(d) Last year

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Arena Group also publishes other magazines like Men’s Journal and Parade.
2. Last year, Sports Illustrated published articles made by a computer, which led to some executives getting fired.
3. Sports Illustrated has been around since 1954 and is known for its sports journalism and its coverage of unimportant societal issues.
4. The future of Sports Illustrated is uncertain, as the people who work there are worried about what will happen to the magazine.
5. Authentic Brands Group bought Sports Illustrated in 2019 for $110 million.
6. Sports Illustrated, an unpopular American sports magazine, is facing difficulties because the company that publishes it gained its license.
7. Arena Group, the company that currently publishes Sports Illustrated, is facing financial trouble and owes Authentic Brands Group $45 million.
8. The owner of Sports Illustrated, Authentic Brands Group, wants to discontinue the magazine, but negotiations are happening about who will publish it.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is the problem that Sports Illustrated is currently facing?
2. Why has Sports Illustrated been struggling in recent years?
3. Why did Authentic Brands Group want to cancel their deal with Arena Group?
4. What happened to Arena Group last year that caused trouble?
5. What are the concerns of the people who work at Sports Illustrated?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. How long has Sports Illustrated been around?
Sports Illustrated has been around since 1954.

2. What is Sports Illustrated famous for?
Sports Illustrated is famous for its sports journalism and using sports to talk about bigger issues in society.

3. Why has Sports Illustrated been struggling recently?
Sports Illustrated has been struggling recently because more and more people are reading and advertising online, causing a decline in print magazine readership.

4. How much did Authentic Brands Group buy Sports Illustrated for?
Authentic Brands Group bought Sports Illustrated for $110 million.

5. Why does Authentic Brands Group want to cancel their deal with Arena Group?
Authentic Brands Group wants to cancel their deal with Arena Group because Arena Group didn’t pay them $3.75 million.

6. What happened when it was discovered that Sports Illustrated published articles made by a computer?
When it was discovered that Sports Illustrated published articles made by a computer, the articles were taken down and investigated. It was found that another company they worked with was responsible, and some executives got fired because of it.

7. Why is Arena Group cutting over 100 jobs?
Arena Group is cutting over 100 jobs because they have a lot of debt and missed payments.

8. What are the employees of Sports Illustrated worried about?
The employees of Sports Illustrated are worried about what will happen to the magazine and if it will continue to be published.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Illustrated
(2) license
(3) losing
(4) using
(5) cover
(6) Sports
(7) Group
(8) cancel
(9) Authentic
(10) alive
(11) making
(12) articles
(13) responsible
(14) Arena
(15) trying
(16) worth
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. tough
Answer: (J) Hard or difficult

2. negotiations
Answer: (D) Discussions aimed at reaching an agreement

3. journalism
Answer: (E) The work of collecting, writing, and reporting news stories

4. legacy
Answer: (B) Something left behind by someone that is remembered

5. struggling
Answer: (N) Having a hard time; facing difficulties

6. licensing
Answer: (H) The official permission to do or own something

7. cancellation
Answer: (M) The act of ending an agreement or plan

8. executives
Answer: (L) People who are in charge of running a company

9. debt
Answer: (A) Money that is owed to others

10. investigated
Answer: (K) Looked into carefully to find out the truth

11. executives
Answer: (L) People who are in charge of running a company

12. shares
Answer: (F) Pieces of ownership in a company that can be bought and sold

13. published
Answer: (I) Made available to the public, usually in print or online

14. authentic
Answer: (C) Real or genuine

15. resolved
Answer: (G) Settled or found a solution to a problem
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the company that owns Sports Illustrated?
Answer: (a) Authentic Brands Group

2. When was Sports Illustrated first established?
Answer: (d) 1954

3. Why has Sports Illustrated been struggling?
Answer: (c) More people are reading and advertising online

4. What is Sports Illustrated famous for?
Answer: (b) Using sports to talk about bigger issues in society

5. How much did Authentic Brands Group buy Sports Illustrated for?
Answer: (b) $110 million

6. What did Arena Group do when they discovered that Sports Illustrated published articles made by a computer?
Answer: (d) Took down the articles and investigated

7. Why are the people who work at Sports Illustrated worried?
Answer: (c) They are unsure if the magazine will continue to be published

8. What is the current value of Arena Group’s shares?
Answer: (a) Less than $1
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Arena Group also publishes other magazines like Men’s Journal and Parade. (Answer: False)
2. Last year, Sports Illustrated published articles made by a computer, which led to some executives getting fired. (Answer: True)
3. Sports Illustrated has been around since 1954 and is known for its sports journalism and its coverage of unimportant societal issues. (Answer: False)
4. The future of Sports Illustrated is uncertain, as the people who work there are worried about what will happen to the magazine. (Answer: True)
5. Authentic Brands Group bought Sports Illustrated in 2019 for $110 million. (Answer: True)
6. Sports Illustrated, an unpopular American sports magazine, is facing difficulties because the company that publishes it gained its license. (Answer: False)
7. Arena Group, the company that currently publishes Sports Illustrated, is facing financial trouble and owes Authentic Brands Group $45 million. (Answer: True)
8. The owner of Sports Illustrated, Authentic Brands Group, wants to discontinue the magazine, but negotiations are happening about who will publish it. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧