Time Inc. revealed the acquisition of three companies that will form the foundation of Sports Illustrated Play, a new Time Inc. business devoted to youth and amateur sports.
Sports Illustrated Play is teaming up with leaders in online sports management to introduce a powerful suite of tools for player registration, scheduling, communication and scorekeeping.
Two of the acquired companies—League Athletics, based in Tucson, AZ, and SportsSignup, based in Saratoga Springs, NY- operate digital management tools that post game scores, keep track of schedules, statistics and standings and enable participants to register and communicate regularly. The two companies reach more than 8 million players, parents, coaches, administrators and other youth sports participants, including over 8,500 leagues and 300,000 teams.
The third acquired business, Southern California-based iScore, operates a scoring app for youth baseball, basketball, soccer and a multitude of other sports. The baseball app, for example, provides play-by-play coverage of approximately 10,000 games each week. The iScore baseball, basketball and soccer apps are available on iOS devices; iScore baseball is also available on Android devices.
"These acquisitions establish Time Inc.'s position in a youth sports space that now consists of approximately 30 million American athletes aged 5 to 17," said Joe Ripp, CEO of Time Inc. "I know firsthand how team sports can empower children and teens. It is also a source of pride to older participants, whether they're involved as parents, coaches or provide moral support. Youth sports are activities that touch one's entire life span and are a tremendous force of good in the lives of American families."
"We believe Time Inc. can bring greater value to this growing segment and provide a more rewarding experience to its passionate audiences," Ripp continued. "This opportunity represents a natural extension of the trusted Sports Illustrated brand. It was developed internally by George Linardos, an involved youth sports dad, who conceived the idea for Sports Illustrated Play and was a driving force behind the acquisitions and business plan."
Sports Illustrated Play will be led by Jeff Karp, who intimately understands youth and amateur sports and has built some of the largest brands in mobile, sports and entertainment. A lifelong athlete, Karp grew up playing competitive tennis and now has three daughters who play in multiple youth sports leagues. He oversaw two of the top-10-grossing iPad apps, and he helped build EA Sports into a global leader in the digital interactive space. Karp held executive roles at Electronic Arts, Zynga and GSN Games, prior to which he spent seven years at Wilson Sporting Goods.

"I'm honored to have the opportunity to lead Sports Illustrated Play and heighten the youth sports experience," said Karp. "Anyone who has a child participating in youth sports today will tell you that this experience can be enhanced. Our vision is to work with partners and advocate participation that will help foster a broader sense of community. We are committed to building on the strength and power of the Sports Illustrated brand and to bringing forth what is best about youth and amateur sports: participation, inclusion, fun, teamwork and—most of all—the pure love of the game." Tags: