Sports Magazine Publishers Want Women in Their Lineup

Major magazine publishers, after spending years on the sidelines, are fielding new publications dedicated to women’s sports.

The latest entrant is Time Warner Inc., which announced plans Monday to test a spinoff of Sports Illustrated for women, starting in April.

It will compete in the fall with two upcoming publications, Conde Nast Sports for Women and Jump, a magazine for young women and teens from Weider Publications.

They join the existing Sports and Fitness for Women and Sports Traveler, a year-old magazine aimed at upscale sports enthusiasts.

The publications reflect rising interest in women’s sports, which are drawing larger audiences and increased television coverage. Big-name sponsors are getting behind women’s sports. Two professional women’s basketball leagues are preparing to launch.

The Olympic Games gave women’s sports a high-profile boost, with U.S. teams winning gold medals in softball, soccer, basketball and gymnastics. The Games attracted a large viewership among women who don’t normally watch televised sports.

“Atlanta was an eye-opener for people,” said Sports Illustrated Associate Publisher John Jay.

Until now, magazine publishers have focused on women’s health and fitness, unsure of a market for women’s sports. Coverage of women’s athletic events rated only occasional mentions in mainstream sports publications.

Publishers say the new magazines break from old formulas. Jay said the spinoff will cover women’s sports in the tradition of Sports Illustrated, with an emphasis on human interest stories. The new publication is likely to cover men’s sports as well, Jay said, but from a women’s perspective.

“We might do a piece on Mike Tyson or Michael Irvin, but from a women’s point of view,” he said.

Heavyweight fighter Tyson is a convicted rapist, and Irvin, a receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, is accused of holding a gun to the head of a woman who claims to have been raped by another Cowboy. Irvin denies any involvement.

Competing publishers are aiming at women who participate in sports, rather than fans, arguing that more women play sports than watch them.

Sports Traveler has had features on super spa hikes and biking for lovers.

“Publishers are recognizing the trend of women’s sports, but they are interpreting the trend differently,” said Sports Traveler Publisher Polly Perkins.

The publications come as marketers are looking for ways to reach female sports enthusiasts. Sears, Roebuck & Co. sponsored the tour of the women’s national basketball team. Evian is the title sponsor of women’s beach volleyball. Reebok is backing women’s professional basketball.

The footwear company has already agreed to advertise in Conde Nast Sports for Women, and is close to an agreement with the upcoming Sports Illustrated spinoff.

“We view these new publications [as] great communication vehicles for us,” said Brenda Goodell, Reebok vice president for marketing communications.

Advocates for women’s sports said they are pleased by the increased coverage the new magazines will provide.

But at the same time, they expressed concerned that women’s sports could be relegated to female-only publications.

“First and foremost, we’d rather see more women’s sports stories in the mainstream sports publications,” said Wendy Hilliard, immediate past president of the Women’s Sports Foundation.

Jay said Sports Illustrated, which reaches 23 million mostly male subscribers, is devoted to football, baseball and basketball and can’t devote much space to women’s sports.

The spinoff will be distributed to 450,000 female subscribers of Sports Illustrated, to women with an interest in sports drawn from Time Warner’s database, and to newsstands for a guaranteed circulation of 600,000. Women who purchased pay-per-view sports programming from Time Warner might receive the magazine, for example.

Time Warner is moving cautiously with its magazine, with only two issues planned this year. If successful, the as-yet-unnamed publication will go monthly in 1998.

“We have a lot to learn,” said Jay. “We have done a lot of research on our female subscribers, but we need to know more about what they like and want to see more of and what their sports preferences are.”

Publishers eyeing the women’s market believe there is reason for caution.

“The market is there,” said Lawrence Burke, editor and publisher of Santa Fe, N.M.-based Outside magazine, which is contemplating a spinoff for women. “How many magazines the market can support is the $64-billion question.”