• by Sara Guaglione , December 9, 2015

This is the second deal for Sports Illustrated Play this month. Publishers Daily previously reported the company’s partnership with US Lacrosse, the national governing body for men’s and women’s lacrosse.

The collaboration is part of a bigger push by Time Inc. to diversify its business by investing in new markets. The deals come as the company tries to offset the decline of its traditional print business by increasing its digital platform and relying on the power of its well-known magazine brands, such as Sports Illustrated.

Sports Illustrated Play will serve as USA Volleyball’s "Official Club Management Software Partner." The partnership will enable USA Volleyball club directors and the junior volleyball community to use Sports Illustrated Play's proprietary software tools, which include player sign-up, roster management and scheduling.

"We are committed to enabling a more rewarding youth sports experience for all of USA Volleyball participants: players, their parents, coaches and the officials that are part of the game," stated Jeff Karp, CEO of Sports Illustrated Play.

USA Volleyball is a Colorado-incorporated nonprofit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) as the national governing body of the sport.

USA Volleyball has over 325,000 registered members, 12,000 teams and 5,300 clubs nationwide.

USA Volleyball secretary general Kerry Klostermann added the partnership will "enhance the off-the-court playing experience," with the goal of a "win-win-win scenario" for all involved.

The sports deals could help the company reach a new audience and collect data that would be valuable to advertisers. According to Joe Ripp, CEO of Time Inc., the youth sports space consists of approximately 30 million American athletes aged 5 to 17.