SB Nation
SB Nation (an abbreviation for their full name SportsBlogs Nation) is a sports blogging network owned by Vox Media. It was co-founded by Tyler Bleszinski, Markos Moulitsas, and Jerome Armstrong in 2003. The blog from which the network formed was started by Bleszinski as Athletics Nation in 2003, and focused solely on the Oakland Athletics. It has since expanded to cover sports franchises on a national scale, including all Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, and National Football League teams, as well as college teams, mixed martial arts and professional wrestling, totaling over 300 community sites. In 2011, the network expanded into technology content with The Verge, leading to the parent company Sports Blogs Inc. being rebranded as Vox Media. SB Nation operates from Vox Media's offices in New York City and Washington, D.C.
Not to be confused with SportsNation (website).
Type of site
Corporate affairs and business model[edit]
From 2003 to 2011, the sports blog network SB Nation (originally known as SportsBlogs Nation) operated under the parent company SportsBlogs Inc., which was headquartered in Washington, D.C.[1][2] Since Sports Blogs was rebranded as Vox Media, the network has also operated from the digital media company's offices in Manhattan.[3]
Vox Media's chief executive officer, Jim Bankoff, has served as SB Nation's CEO since 2009.[4] Elena Bergeron served as editor-in-chief until March 2019.[5]
Many contributors to SB Nation work as part-time contractors,[6] and are paid a stipend each month.[1] The network generates revenue through advertising.[6]
Recognition[edit]
In 2011, Time included SB Nation in their list of "50 Websites That Make the Web Great".[53] SB Nation was a finalist in the seventh annual Shorty Awards' "fansite" category (2015),[54][55] and received a National Magazine Award (or Ellie Award) in the "Digital Innovation" category in 2018 as the publisher of Jon Bois' narrative, 17776.[56][57] A sequel to 17776, 20020, was released in September–October 2020, with a third edition, 20021, was set to be released in 2021, but as of 2022 has no set date of release.
Letterboxd named Jon Bois' and Alex Rubenstein's collaborative documentary on the history of the Seattle Mariners the highest rated documentary miniseries of 2020,[58] and The New York Times listed its first episode, "This is not an endorsement of arson", as one of the best episodes of TV of 2020.[59]