Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox television channel CNN/Sports Illustrated (CNN/SI) was a 24-hour sports news network. Created when Time Warner merged its CNN and Sports Illustrated brands, it launched on December 12, 1996.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Other news networks like ESPNews provided 30-minute blocks of news and highlights in a similar fashion to CNN Headline News at the time, but CNN/SI was live daily from 7am to 2am.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Its purpose was to provide the most comprehensive sports news service on television, bringing in-depth sports news from around the world, and integrating the internet and television.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
ClosureEdit
CNN/SI's closure had been attributed to competition with other all-sports news networks and sports newscasts which started around the same time, such as ESPNews and Fox Sports Net's National Sports Report. Though CNN/SI aired exclusive content, such as the tape of former Indiana University coach Bob Knight choking player Neil Reed, the channel reached only 20 million homes, not adequate enough to receive a rating by Nielsen Media Research, which reduced sponsorship. ESPNews, in contrast, benefited from being bundled with ESPN (86.5 million homes). The news channel parent CNN did not have the same influence with cable operators for its all-sports news channel. CNN's cancellation of their flagship sports program, Sports Tonight (which had already been retooled to compete with SportsCenter) after the September 11 attacks contributed to the closure of CNN/SI, as it lost all connections to their mother network.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Near its closure, Sports Tonight was exclusive to CNN/SI. CNN/SI added NASCAR qualifying,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Wimbledon matches,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> National Lacrosse League matches,<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> and televised the now-defunct Women's United Soccer Association<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
CNN/SI shut down on May 15, 2002.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On many cable systems, CNN/SI was replaced by NBA TV. NBA TV, which launched in 1999, eventually evolved into a joint venture between Time Warner and the NBA that officially launched on October 28, 2008.
Following the network's closure, its international sports program World Sport continues to air, and since 2002 has been produced by CNN International.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
CNN itself would not produce another regular sportscast until 2024, when a new CNN-produced newscast, TNT Sports Tonight, debuted on TruTV as part of a plan to increase sports programming on that network.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
WebsiteEdit
The CNN/SI name was maintained for Sports IllustratedTemplate:'s online presence at cnnsi.com. In January 2013, CNN acquired Bleacher Report and after Time Warner's spin-off of their publishing assets into Time Inc. (and subsequently sale to Meredith Corporation and later, to IAC's Dotdash), they dropped all use of the Sports Illustrated name.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
ProgrammingEdit
- Sports Tonight (1996–2001) hosted by various anchors<ref name=CNNSI.com>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- NFL Preview hosted by Bob Lorenz with analysts Trev Alberts, Irving Fryar and Peter King<ref name=CNNSI.com/>
- College Football Preview hosted by Bob Lorenz with analyst Trev Alberts and Ivan Maisel<ref name=CNNSI.com/>
- This Week in the NBA hosted by Andre Aldridge and Kevin Loughery<ref name=CNNSI.com/>
- Sports Illustrated Golf Plus hosted by Bob Fiscella and Phil Jones<ref name=CNNSI.com/>
- World Sport hosted by various anchors<ref name=CNNSI.com/>
- Page One hosted by Laura Okmin<ref name=CNNSI.com/>
- NASCAR Plus hosted by Johnny Phelps<ref name=CNNSI.com/>
- Sports Illustrated - Cover to Cover<ref name=CNNSI.com/>
- Trev Alberts' Full Tilt<ref name=CNNSI.com/>
- The Sporting Life with Jim Huber<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Div col end
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
Template:TBS Template:Sports television in the United States