TheMaven Rebrands As The Arena Group To Reflect Its Vertical Strategy

TheMaven Inc., publisher of Sports Illustrated, TheStreet and other titles, has rebranded as The Arena Group.  

The name reflects the firm’s efforts to build media verticals called “Arenas,” tied to passionate consumer interests, on a single technical platform.  

The Arena Group’s sports vertical now includes 103 digital sports sites, including FanNation, which includes 90+ local team sites on the SI.com domain, The Hockey News, Fadeaway World, Morning Read and Athlon Sports.  

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The focus on a vertical-centric model follows the elevation of Sports Illustrated CEO Ross Levinsohn to the title of company CEO one year ago. The firm has since raised more than $40 million in capital.  

Digital revenue grew by roughly 91% year-over-year in Q2. Recurring subscriptions across all of the firm’s properties now account for 55% of overall revenue. 

"The last year has been one of dramatic change, Levinsohn states.  

"We have grown revenue and audience, driven strategic partnership in gambling, podcasting, and commerce, and partnered with more than 200 publishers," he adds.

This follows the rollout of a publisher acquisition and partnership strategy designed to attract independent sports media destinations that will complement the flagship brand, the company says. In June, the firm made its first acquisition: The Spun.  

In July, the company deployed Verizon Media’s identity solution across its sites. The goal is to help advertisers reach audiences in a cookie-free environment by using their own first-party data.  

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