Sports Illustrated releases its annual Swimsuit Issue next week, kicking off the highly-anticipated event with the unveiling of the cover Monday night on the "Late Show with David Letterman."
And while many giddily await the special glossy's arrival on newsstands for its endless stream of bikini-clad models posing on sun-drenched landscapes, for Time Inc., the publication's parent company, the Swimsuit Issue means something more: a multi-million business that's bigger than the sports magazine that spawned it.
Since its debut in 1964, SI has moved beyond print, expanding into digital subscriptions, videos, a Twitter feed, talk-show appearances, and for the first time this year, a two-day music festival.
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.
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