Arena Group threatens to kill SI's print edition

Sports Illustrated’s erstwhile publisher yesterday "threatened to kill the print edition of the famed magazine" after reports surfaced that the company that owns the license is " leaning toward awarding it to a rival ." The Arena Group, which had its license revoked in January by Authentic Brands, held a meeting to tell the "already shaken staff" that the May issue "would be its last," according to multiple sources. The move comes as Manoj Bhargava , the 5-hour Energy founder and Arena’s largest shareholder, "seeks to renegotiate" the three years left on the original 10-year, $150M deal with Authentic owner Jamie Salter . But a source close to Salter steadfastly said, "Authentic will ensure print publication." Arena has been publishing the magazine and the SI website while seeking to strike a new deal with Authentic ( N.Y. POST, 3/14 ). Friction between SI's owner and its operator has "led to disarray at the venerable magazine" in recent months, and that dysfunction "again came to the fore" yesterday ( N.Y. TIMES, 3/14 ).