The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue hits newstands next week.
SI confirmed Friday that blonde bombshell Kate Upton will grace the cover for the second year in a row, which should excite tons of readers who giddily await the glossy's once-a-year release featuring page after page of barely-dressed models on beaches.
But for Time Inc., the publication's parent company, the Swimsuit Issue means something more: a billion-dollar business that's bigger than the sports magazine that spawned it.
Since becoming a stand-alone issue in 1997, the magazine has become "one of Time Inc.’s biggest revenue drivers over the years, bringing in more than $1 billion," according to Forbes.
Here's how it all started.
The first Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition debuted on Jan. 20, 1964, as a five-page supplement. It was designed by then-editor, Andre Laguerre to increase readership during the winter lull between popular sports seasons. The premier cover featured Babette March in a white two-piece.
Fashion reporter Jule Campbell was chosen as SI's first swimsuit editor. During her 31-year reign from 1965 to 1996, Campbell transformed the publication from a provocative glossy featuring a few bikini-clad women into a commercial behemoth.
In 1997, SI's swimsuit edition received special-issue status. It has since become the single best-selling issue in Time Inc.'s magazine franchise.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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