CNN Sports Illustrated

CNN Sports Illustrated
CNNSI logo used from 1996 to 1999.
Launched December 12, 1996
Closed May 15, 2002
Owned by Turner Broadcasting System
Picture format 480i (SDTV)
Slogan The 24-hour Sports Information Channel.
Country USA
Language English
Broadcast area Nationwide
Replaced by NBA TV (on many cable systems)
Sister channel(s) CNN
Headline News
TNT
TBS Superstation
Turner South
Turner Classic Movies
Cartoon Network
Boomerang
CNNfn
Availability
Satellite
DirecTV 205
Dish Network 148

CNN Sports Illustrated (CNNSI) was a 24-hour sports news channel. It was created by Time Warner, bringing together its CNN and Sports Illustrated brands and related resources. It was launched on December 12, 1996.[1]

CNN/SI aimed to provide the most comprehensive sports news service on television, bringing in-depth sports news from around the world, and integrating the Internet and television.[2]

What led to CNN/SI's demise was that it had the misfortune of being created at about the same time as all-sports news rivals ESPNews and Fox Sports Net's National Sports Report. Though CNN/SI could boast of exclusives such as the tape of Indiana University player Neil Reed, appearing to be choked by former coach Bob Knight, the channel reached about only 20 million homes, not enough to receive a rating by Nielsen Media Research, which was a killer with sponsors. ESPNews benefited from the leverage ESPN (86.5 million homes) has with cable operators. In contrast, news channel parent CNN didn't have the same clout with cable operators for its all-sports news channel. The sudden end of CNN carrying their flagship sports program, Sports Tonight (which had already been retooled to compete with SportsCenter) in the wake of the September 11 attacks was likely the death knell for CNN/SI, which lost all connections to their mother network.[3]

In its dying days, Sports Tonight was exclusive to CNN/SI. CNN/SI added NASCAR qualifying,[4] Wimbledon matches,[5] National Lacrosse League matches,[6] and televised the now-defunct Women's United Soccer Association[7]

CNN/SI closed its doors on May 15, 2002.[8][9] On many cable systems, CNN/SI was replaced by NBA TV. NBA TV, which launched in 1999, eventually evolved into a joint venture between Time Warner and the NBA that officially launched on October 28, 2008.

While the network closed, its international sports program World Sport continues airing and since 2002 has been produced by CNN International.[10]

Unlike ESPNews, which provided 30-minute blocks of news and highlights, CNN/SI concentrated on "in-depth" and the "flow" of the news reporting. It was live every day from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m.

CNN/SI website

CNN Sports Illustrated Site logo 2002

The CNN/SI name was maintained for Sports Illustrated's online presence, which was located at cnnsi.com. It has since moved to just si.com. In January 2013, CNN acquired Bleacher Report and after Time Warner's spin-off of their publishing assets into Time Inc., ceased all partnerships with Sports Illustrated.[11]

Programming

References

  1. Kent, Milton (December 12, 1996). "CNN/SI pairing channels energy into sports information battle". Baltimore Sun. MediaWatch. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  2. "CNN 20: CNN/SI Debuts, December 12, 1996". CNN.com. December 12, 2000. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  3. Diamond Joe (January 24, 2013). "Rachel Nichols' New Quarters Are At CNN, Turner Sports". SportsRants.com. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  4. Glick, Shav (August 10, 2001). "Long Is Closing In on His F-1 Dream". Los Angeles Times.
  5. "Nick Charles to Host CNN/Sports Illustrated's Exclusive Prime Time Wimbledon Coverage". BW SportsWire. Business Wire. June 21, 2000. Retrieved June 6, 2016 via TheFreeLibrary.com.
  6. "National Lacrosse League Tabs CNN/Sports Illustrated As National Broadcast Partner" (Press release). National Lacrosse League. August 20, 2001. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  7. "WUSA: TNT and CNNSI to show 22 games". Soccer America. February 20, 2001. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  8. Kaplan, Paul (April 6, 2002). "CNN/Sports Illustrated Channel to Go Off Air in May". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Highbeam Research. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  9. Wilkerson, David B. (April 6, 2002). "AOL: CNN/SI to shut down May 15". MarketWatch. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  10. Welsh, James (May 9, 2002). "CNNI sports unaffected by CNN/SI shutdown". Digital Spy. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  11. Thielman, Sam (January 30, 2013). "CNN's Bleacher Report Programming Launches Saturday". Adweek. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "The Channel". CNNSI.com. November 9, 2001. Archived from the original on November 10, 2001. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  13. "THE SPORTING LIFE WITH JIM HUBER". CNNSI.com. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
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