(NEW YORK, NY) September 7, 2016 — Time Inc.’s (NYSE: TIME) Sports Illustrated Group and DGital Media today announced an exclusive, multifaceted podcast partnership, beginning with a slate of new series launching around the kickoff of the 2016 NFL season. Available now is The MMQB Podcast with Peter King, an access-driven experience that brings fans behind the scenes with King—Editor of TheMMQB.com and one of the most highly respected and widely followed voices in sports media—for exclusive in-depth conversations with the biggest influencers in professional football. Premiering next week will be two more weekly series dedicated to all things pro football, The MMQB Podcast with Albert Breer and The 10 Things MMQB Podcast. The SI Group and DGital Media, the innovative creator of high quality, on-demand audio entertainment, will also build on the recent podcast momentum across the SI network, with new premium original series on the horizon.

“Our business is all about storytelling, and there are few better ways to hear the stories of some the greatest influencers of our time than through a podcast,” King said. “To have the ability to sit down for real conversations with the biggest names in football—Bruce Arians, John Elway, Michael Bennett, to begin with—and not just three-minute sound bite-type interviews is very exciting. We're proud to partner with DGital Media and believe it will be a great addition to what we have established with The MMQB.”

The SI Group’s podcast network has posted significant growth over the past year, adding new programming and more than doubling its audience in overall streams and downloads according to the latest iTunes statistics. Some of the SI Group’s most popular programs, which together have amassed millions of listens, include the SI Media Podcast With Richard Deitsch, Planet Fútbol with Grant Wahl, Beyond the Baseline with Jon Wertheim, The Gray Area with Maggie Gray and SI’s Open Floor podcast dedicated to the NBA.

“We've achieved tremendous growth in the podcast space, and we eagerly anticipate extending the SI Group’s podcasting presence further, beginning today with one of the industry’s biggest talents in Peter King and The MMQB,” said Sports Illustrated Group Editorial Director Chris Stone. “We will continue to build around our roster of award-winning journalists as we experiment with new forms of setting and leading the sports conversation and work with our new partners at DGital Media to deliver a premium audio experience across the board.”

The MMQB Podcast with Peter King launched today with three original episodes, featuring in-depth conversations with Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians, Denver Broncos GM John Elway and Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett as they begin the 2016 NFL season. The new series launches with four advertisers on board: Blue Apron, FanDuel, Harry’s Shave and SeatGeek. Listeners will be able to find new and archived episodes of the series on multiple distribution outlets, including TheMMQB.com, SI.com, iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, Spotify and Google Play, where a new episode will publish every Wednesday.

Next week, The MMQB Podcast with Albert Breer and The 10 Things MMQB Podcast with co-hosts Andy Benoit and Gary Gramling, will each launch with one episode per week available on Tuesdays and Mondays, respectively.

“When it comes to professional football I think Peter King,” said Chris Corcoran, Chief Content Officer, DGital Media. “There are few in sports and media who have a bigger influence around the field than Peter and we’re excited to bring a new experience to his audience as well as the talented Albert Breer and the rest of The MMQB team. To be able to partner with such talented individuals and have the opportunity to work with the venerated Sports Illustrated brand is truly special.”

Peter King is an award-winning sports journalist who is one of the industry’s most popular and followed personalities (with 1.75 million+ Twitter followers). He joined Sports Illustrated in 1989 and became a prolific reporter who is deeply respected for his work ethic and network of sources. He was an early adopter of digital media, as his weekly Monday Morning Quarterback column for SI.com became a must-read for fans, players and the entire football industry. In 2013, SI and King launched a year-round, pioneering digital destination—TheMMQB.com—where a team of journalists deliver multimedia NFL coverage from around the league.

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About The Sports Illustrated Group 
Time Inc.’s Sports Illustrated is the preeminent journalistic enterprise covering the world of sports both on and off the field. Debuting in 1954, SI has garnered worldwide acclaim for its award-winning storytelling born from an independent voice and for its unparalleled access to the most popular athletes and newsmakers from the sports world. This is the underpinning of the franchise, which now boasts a group of best-in-class consumer products and platforms reaching more than 73 million. The Sports Illustrated Group features the most-read sports magazine, a top 10 sports digital network and marquee franchises—Sports Illustrated Films, ‪TheMMQB.com‬‬‬, the FanSided Network of sites and apps, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, Sportsperson of the Year, the SI Golf Group (Golf magazine, ‪Golf.com‬‬‬, SI Golf +), Extra Mustard and Sports Illustrated Kids. For more information, visit ‪SI.com‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ and follow @SINow on Twitter, @SportsIllustrated on Instagram and Facebook and SI_mag on Snapchat. ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

 

About Time Inc. 
Time Inc. (NYSE:TIME) is one of the world's leading media companies, with a monthly global print audience of over 120 million and worldwide digital properties that attract more than 150 million visitors each month, including over 60 websites. Our influential brands include People, Sports Illustrated, InStyle, Time, Real Simple and Southern Living, as well as more than 50 diverse titles in the United Kingdom. 

 

About DGital Media 
DGital Media (www.DGitalMedia.com) is a leading innovator and creator of on-demand audio entertainment in sports, business, tech, comedy and news. DGital Media’s growing list of programming partners includes Recode, Fortune, Yahoo Sports, IMG, Fox Sports Digital, and UFC, and features some of the most influential voices in sports, comedy, tech, and news, including Adrian Wojnarowski, Kara Swisher, Tony Kornheiser, Peter King, JJ Redick, Jim Norton, Sherrod Small, Katie Nolan, Peter Kafka, Brian Kilmeade and many more. DGital Media brings authentic and informative audio programming together with brands to inform and engage audiences. The company is headquartered in New York, with offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco. 

 

CONTACT: 
Danny Leonard 
Time Inc. 
212.522.0361 
danny_leonard@timeinc.com 

Joe Favorito 
DGital Media 
917.566.8345 
joefavorito2@gmail.com