Numerous print publication brands in recent years have been confronted with the same problem. The increased popularity of the internet that started close to the turn of the century has blossomed so substantially that it has impacted the readership of print magazines. Print publications like Sports Illustrated and others established websites long ago to address the problem directly. However, as consumers continued to shift their preference toward the internet and digital content, the matter became more pressing. Sports Illustrated CEO Ross Levinsohn knew that action must be taken, and he was the right person for the job.

With more than 40 years of professional history in the print and media worlds to his name, Levinsohn is a respected leader that has impacted these industries considerably. Some of the positions that he has been most influential in have been key executive roles at CBS Sportsline, Maven Media, Guggenheim Digital, Fox and Whisper Advisors. Many of his prior professional experiences had prepared him to take on Sports Illustrated’s problem. For example, when he worked at the digital media services provider, Maven Media, he managed monetizing strategies for hundreds of industry brands. One of the many impacts that he made in this capacity was with The Street with Jim Cramer, a notable financial brand that was known specifically for its Wall Street news. However, interest in cryptocurrencies was on the rise, and Ross Levinsohn saw this as a great opportunity to venture into new territory and boost revenue in the process. His successful idea involved instituting a specialized paywall that offered cryptocurrency news to interested consumers.

Levinsohn was honored to receive the position of Sports Illustrated CEO in 2016, and he quickly got up to speed to tackle the brand’s internet-rooted problem. From his work for The Street with Jim Cramer and other important brands, Levinsohn was inspired to create a new paywall online to resolve Sports Illustrated’s issue. Rather than produce new content, however, he generated more revenue from existing content lines through the establishment of a higher-level subscription option. Consumers who opted for the new subscription membership have been granted early access to Sports Illustrated’s stories. Similar efforts have since been made at other top publishing brands.