ESPN the magazine has changed its focused. Instead of every issue featuring comprehensive coverage on the world of sports, each issue will now focus a single sport or theme per issue.
As Folio magazine recently reported, from an ad revenue perspective, the sports magazine could be onto something great. The magazine will be able to plan its each issue much further in advance which could allow earlier ad sales, which could lead to more strategic targeting of relevant advertisers.
Unlike a lot of magazines this year, ESPN the Magazine reported a 26.4 percent increase in advertising pages, according to figures from the Publishers Information Bureau. Last year the sports magazine found a respectable amount of success with its first-ever “Body Issue,” which feature semi-nude athletes.
In addition to its new single-topic editorial focus, ESPN the Magazine also revealed two new multi-page sections called “Go” and “Play.” The first of its single-topic issues is a college football preview, is available now.