Sports Illustrated Kids
Sports Illustrated Kids is a youth-oriented sports magazine spun off from Sports Illustrated.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Sports Illustrated Kids, commonly known as SI Kids, was a youth-focused spin-off of the American sports magazine Sports Illustrated. It was launched in January 1989 under the direction of Mark Mulvoy, then managing editor of Sports Illustrated, to introduce children to sports through accessible reporting, humor, illustrations, photography, and athlete-centered features. The publication adapted the authority and visual identity of its parent magazine for younger readers, using simpler vocabulary and a more playful editorial style while retaining broad coverage of professional, collegiate, amateur, team, and extreme sports. The first issue featured Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls guard and future Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member, on its cover. From its beginning, the magazine served both an editorial and promotional purpose: it provided sports information and entertainment for children while encouraging interest in athletic participation, sports culture, and collecting. Regular features included interviews with athletes, reports by child correspondents, comics, humorous captions for sports photographs, detachable posters, and coverage designed to make statistics and sporting events approachable. The magazine also developed recurring original characters, most notably Buzz Beamer, a blond, sunglass-wearing child who appeared in comics and later in animated material associated with the official website. Bill Hinds created and drew the character. SI Kids expanded beyond its core magazine format. In January 2004 it introduced Sports Illustrated Teen, a bound insert aimed at older readers. The insert emphasized deeper statistics, predictions, and more detailed treatments of team sports and extreme sports. Sports Illustrated Teen continued through the March 2010 issue, after which it was discontinued and replaced by a selected article from Sports Illustrated. The brand also supported related books, video games, a television program, online content, and special editorial properties such as SportsKid of the Year. The December issue traditionally highlighted the SportsKid of the Year, while posters were included as a recurring physical feature. In March 2006, SI Kids and Topps announced a marketing alliance intended to increase awareness of sports-card collecting among children. The magazine promoted the inclusion of sports cards with its issues, linking its editorial role to a broader youth sports-entertainment and collectibles ecosystem. The title received repeated recognition in educational and parenting media, including 11 Distinguished Achievement for Excellence in Educational Publishing awards and seven Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, according to the reference material. Sports Illustrated Kids occupied a distinctive position between a conventional children's magazine and a sports publication. Its content was designed to be entertaining and easy to understand without treating young readers as passive consumers: child reporters, explanatory features, humor, and interactive elements encouraged participation. The available reference material confirms the title's launch, editorial format, major extensions, awards, and partnership activity, but does not establish its current publication status, present owner, headquarters beyond the United States, or the precise corporate structure governing the brand.
History
Sports Illustrated Kids originated as an effort to extend Sports Illustrated's sports journalism and brand reach to children. Mark Mulvoy, the managing editor of Sports Illustrated, created the publication, which launched in January 1989 as a bi-monthly spin-off. Rather than simply reproducing the parent magazine's format, the new title adjusted its language, tone, and presentation for younger readers. Its editorial mission combined sports education and entertainment with the broader objective of encouraging children to take an interest in sports. The inaugural issue used Michael Jordan as its cover subject, establishing a connection with prominent professional athletes from the outset. Subsequent issues covered a wide variety of sports and used interviews, explanatory articles, photography, humor, and child-oriented features to make the material approachable. Child reporters gave the magazine a participatory dimension, while comics and humorous captions distinguished it from a conventional sports-news publication. A detachable poster became a recurring physical feature, reinforcing the magazine's appeal as both a reading product and a collectible object. Mulvoy continued to oversee the publication until his retirement in 1996. During and after this period, SI Kids developed recognizable brand devices, including the mascot Buzz Beamer. Created and drawn by cartoonist Bill Hinds, Buzz was depicted as a blond child in dark glasses who played different sports in recurring comic situations. The character also appeared in flash cartoons connected with the official website, extending the magazine's identity into digital media. The brand later experimented with segmentation for older readers. Sports Illustrated Teen first appeared in the January 2004 issue as a bound, multi-page insert within SI Kids. It addressed readers who wanted more sophisticated material, including statistics, predictions, and deeper coverage of team-based and extreme sports. The insert was discontinued after the March 2010 issue and replaced with a selected article from Sports Illustrated, ending that particular sub-format. SI Kids also pursued commercial and media extensions. In March 2006, Topps and Sports Illustrated Kids announced a marketing alliance designed to increase children's awareness of trading-card collecting. The magazine advertised the inclusion of sports cards with issues, connecting the publication with sports memorabilia and collectibles. Other works associated with the brand included books, a sports pop-up book, video games, a television show, and online material. Recurring editorial properties helped structure the publication's calendar. The December issue featured SportsKid of the Year, while athlete interviews, posters, comics, and visual features appeared as regular or recurring components. The title was also recognized in educational and parenting publishing, receiving 11 Distinguished Achievement for Excellence in Educational Publishing awards and seven Parents' Choice Magazine Awards according to the cited reference material. The available sources establish the magazine's origins, editorial direction, major character, teen insert, Topps alliance, associated media, and awards. They do not provide sufficiently reliable information for a complete account of later corporate ownership, current operations, exact publication frequency in every period, or whether the brand remains active. Those details therefore remain unresolved in this dossier.
- 2010
Sports Illustrated Teen ends
[1]The teen insert is discontinued with the March issue and replaced by a selected Sports Illustrated article.
- 2006
Topps marketing alliance announced
[1]Topps and SI Kids announce a partnership promoting sports-card collecting among children.
- 2004
Sports Illustrated Teen debuts
[1]A bound insert for older SI Kids readers begins publication, with more statistics, predictions, and detailed sports coverage.
- 1996
Mark Mulvoy ends his oversight
[1]Mark Mulvoy, who created the publication and oversaw it from launch, retires from that role.
- 1989
Sports Illustrated Kids launches
[1]The youth-oriented spin-off begins publication in January, with Michael Jordan appearing on the first cover.
Products and positioning
A humorous, accessible sports-media brand for children and young teenagers, combining simplified sports journalism with comics, athlete interviews, visual entertainment, posters, and collectible-oriented promotions.
Magazine · 1989
Sports Illustrated Kids
The core SI Kids publication was a bi-monthly sports magazine for children. It used simplified language and a humorous presentation while covering athletes, teams, sports events, and participation-oriented topics. Regular elements included athlete interviews, child reporters, comics, humorous sports-photo captions, detachable posters, and seasonal editorial features such as SportsKid of the Year.
Magazine insert · 2004
Sports Illustrated Teen
Sports Illustrated Teen was a bound multi-page insert within SI Kids for older readers. Its coverage was more statistically detailed than the main magazine and included predictions, deeper examinations of team sports, and material on extreme sports. It ran from the January 2004 issue through the March 2010 issue.
Comic and character property
Buzz Beamer
Buzz Beamer is the magazine's recurring comic mascot, portrayed as a blond, sunglass-wearing child who takes part in a range of sports-related situations. Cartoonist Bill Hinds created and drew the character. Buzz also appeared in flash cartoons associated with the SI Kids website.
Editorial recognition property
SportsKid of the Year
SportsKid of the Year was a recurring SI Kids editorial feature associated with the December issue. The available source material identifies the feature but does not specify a complete list of recipients or its current status.
Marketing campaigns
- 2006Topps sports-card collecting alliance
United States
SI Kids and Topps announced a marketing alliance intended to increase awareness of trading-card collecting among children. The magazine promoted the inclusion of sports cards with its issues.
Outcome. The source confirms the partnership and its promotional purpose but does not document measurable commercial results.
Brand decisions
2010
Replace the Sports Illustrated Teen insertGeneration changeBackground
The Sports Illustrated Teen format ended after the March 2010 issue.
Action taken
The publisher replaced the insert with a selected article from Sports Illustrated.
Aftermath
This ended the separate SI Teen insert format within the children's magazine.
2004
Introduce Sports Illustrated TeenProduct launchBackground
Older readers within the SI Kids audience required more detailed sports information than the main children's magazine typically provided.
Action taken
The publisher added a bound Sports Illustrated Teen insert with expanded statistics, predictions, and deeper coverage.
Aftermath
The insert continued until March 2010, when it was discontinued and replaced by a selected Sports Illustrated article.
1989
Launch a child-focused Sports Illustrated spin-offProduct launchBackground
Sports Illustrated sought to reach younger readers and market sports in a format suited to children.
Action taken
Mark Mulvoy created and oversaw the launch of Sports Illustrated Kids as a bi-monthly magazine with simpler language, humor, and youth-oriented features.
Aftermath
The title became a distinct youth sports-media property with related characters, publications, digital material, and other media extensions.
Recent events
- 2010
Sports Illustrated Teen insert is discontinued[1]
Product generation
The Sports Illustrated Teen insert ended with the March 2010 issue and was replaced by a selected article from Sports Illustrated.
- 2006
SI Kids and Topps announce a marketing alliance[1]
Campaign · Other
Sports Illustrated Kids and Topps formed a marketing partnership to promote sports-card collecting among children, including the advertised distribution of sports cards with magazine issues.
- 2004
Sports Illustrated Teen appears as an insert in SI Kids[1]
Product launch
The brand introduced Sports Illustrated Teen, a bound insert intended for older readers and focused on more statistics, predictions, and detailed coverage.
- 1989
Sports Illustrated Kids launches as a youth spin-off[1]
Product launch
Sports Illustrated introduced Sports Illustrated Kids as a bi-monthly publication aimed at younger sports readers. The inaugural issue featured Michael Jordan on its cover.
Sources2 sources
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