Sports Illustrated shuffle spawns litigation against 5-Hour Energy mogul
The 5-Hour Energy mogul's lawyers will soon be getting some Billable Hour Energy.
Via Benjamin Mullin of the New York Times, the owner of Sports Illustrated sued Manoj Bhargava on Monday, arguing that he owes $48.75 million in connection with the implosion of relationship between Sports Illustrated and Arena Group, owned by Bhargava. Authentic Brands Group, which owns the SI property, also claims that Bhargava owes damages for allegedly infringing on the SI copyrights and trademarks.
Minute Media recently assumed control of Sports Illustrated and the SI.com website. The transition has created short-term oddities, such as Albert Breer's NFL content appearing on the Athlon Sports website.
Athlon Sports. A name you possibly haven't heard since buying an NFL season preview magazine at the grocery store. In 1998.
That likely will change soon, with Breer and others who previously worked for Arena Group migrating to Minute Media and returning to SI.com.
The whole thing is sad, both for those currently getting jostled around in a game of corporate hopscotch and for those who remember when Sports Illustrated was such a strong presence that it seemed as if if would never fade from prominence.
