Media: Nation scoops Sports Illustrated Thai rights

The group, which has sole publication rights for all SI magazines in Thailand, will gradually introduce other titles into the market, with SI Tennis and SI Soccer expected out next year, said SI Swimsuit editor-in-chief, Siriwan Tempati.

President and CEO of the group's magazine business Suphachai Sunthornpadungsin said at the March launch of Hair magazine that the group would introduce at least five new titles this year.

Both SI magazines will be distributed free-of-charge to The Nation subscribers for the first year, in addition to being available on the newsstands, Siriwan said. "It's all about synergy, we have the same target audience as The Nation."

Media planners applaud this distribution strategy that delivers the magazines to the homes of top executives. The launches also come at a time that "people are open to international publications, and when they want to have something new", said Universal McCann managing director Sakda Preechawipat.

SI Swimsuit, which features female models, film stars and athletes modelling the latest swim wear designs, sells 59 million copies worldwide, and will have an initial print run of 150,000 copies in Thailand.

"We expect to have 80 per cent male and 20 per cent female readership, with the core target men 25 and up," Siriwan said. The 200-page annual publication will be translated in its entirety, with no local content since the focus is the pictures, she said.

SI Golf, published six times a year, will have a tougher time as it enters a relatively small and crowded market, already occupied by six golf publications, including US magazine Golf Digest.

The group's research currently shows about 600,000 readers of sports magazines, with 20 to 25 per cent interested in golf publications, a figure roughly equal to the group's intended 150,000 print run. SI Golf's cover price of 160 baht (US$4) will put it at the premium end of the market.

"I think golf is growing very quickly as people switch from other sports, because you can play it whether you're six or 60," said marketing manager for SI Golf Suthee Lakmongkolkit. By the end of the first week of April, more than 30 of SI Swimsuit's 57 ad pages and 28 of SI Golf's 40 ad pages, had been taken.