The Arena Group (AREN), the tech-powered media company operating more than 240 brands including Sports Illustrated, TheStreet and Parade, today completed its purchase of golf publisher Morning Read from Buffalo Groupe, LLC.
The acquisition continues the expansion of The Arena Group’s sports brands, focusing on in-depth coverage of the golf world – from breaking news and championship coverage to podcasts, video travel and interview series at SI.com/golf.
“This is another step in growing quality storytelling and experiences for consumers, further expanding our footprint in one of the most valuable categories in all of sports,” said Ross Levinsohn, CEO of The Arena Group and Sports Illustrated.
The addition of Morning Read’s industry-leading and trusted editorial team, highly engaged newsletter subscriber base, and strong e-commerce business will accelerate revenue and audience growth across The Arena Group’s sports media vertical, the Sports Illustrated Media Group.
According to Google Analytics, the collection of leading sports brands reported 174% year-over-year growth in average monthly page views in the second quarter. Across all verticals, the company reached 1.5 billion visitors last quarter and has established an avid golf audience of 40 million monthly digital visitors, according to Liveramp and Google Analytics.
“The evolution of our year-long relationship with Morning Read created an exceptional opportunity for our sports arena to resurrect SI’s illustrious golf coverage with a talented in-house editorial team,” said Chris Pirrone, senior vice president and general manager of Sports Illustrated Media Group. “We are excited to add depth and expertise on golf athletes, influencers, culture, equipment, and much more, for the high household income visitors who frequent our sports, finance, and lifestyle brands.”
Morning Read first became an editorial partner with The Arena Group in 2021, providing compelling coverage around the PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour, and the newly formed LIV Golf Tour, plus original videos and podcasts. Morning Read’s editorial team joins The Arena Group alongside award-winning editorial staff and Sports Illustrated journalists to deliver print and digital content across all platforms.
The team will report to Morning Read General Manager Jeff Ritter with the recent addition of Billy Condon from Golfweek to lead the golf revenue strategy.
“Morning Read was created for golf enthusiasts to start their day with the most comprehensive original golf content and partnering with Sports Illustrated has not only expanded our audience, but created the ultimate golf destination,” said Kyle Ragsdale, CEO of Buffalo Groupe, LLC which operates Morning Read. “We are extremely proud of Morning Read’s evolution, which is directly attributed to the editorial and leadership team of Buffalo Media Network, and look forward to seeing continued growth."
Buffalo Groupe is based in Charleston, S.C. and is a collection of agencies, events and media properties that authentically serve the escape industries of golf, outdoor recreation, travel, lifestyle, real estate and active sport. The collection comprises industry leading companies including Buffalo Agency, BGRM, 54 Brands, Longitudes Group, The First Call and Moments Live.
