Sports fans have something extra to celebrate this Christmas as the iconic news and content portal, sportinglife.com celebrates 10 years on the web on Wednesday 20 December.
It is a full decade since the Leeds-based site brought the historic brand bang up to date with an online offering that was originally a companion to the sports paper, founded in 1859. Much has changed in the ensuing years, but sportinglife.com remains one of the most recognisable brands in British sport.
"I can't believe it's been 10 years, but the site has never stopped changing and developing in that time," says Graham Shaw, editor-in-chief of sportinglife.com, who has been with the site since 1996. "We've had many different styles and columnists,, but the biggest development has been the advent of broadband, which has brought more sports fans to the site and allowed them to follow the action nearly as fast as we can deliver the news and information.
"What hasn't changed is our commitment to the delivery of high quality sports news, which helped us make the transition to an internet-focused brand when The Sporting Life newspaper closed in 1998."
Launched as a joint venture between Trinity Mirror - then owners of the newspaper version - and the Press Association, sportinglife.com was sold in 2001 to what is now 365 Media Group plc (currently the subject of a recommended cash offer from BskyB). It has since become part of a stable of internet-based sports brands that includes Football365.com, Sportal.com and TEAMtalk.com.
"sportinglife.com has continued to generate a huge loyal following because it continues to do its job so well" says Andy Roberts, head of marketing for 365 Media Group. "That's because for the sports fan, sportinglife.com has always been and still is the best for the latest breaking sports news, live scores and results."
Broadcaster Tony Jardine is the F1 columnist for the site and sportinglife.com also sponsors his successful rally team.
"2006 marks the seventh year of sportinglife.com's association with my rally campaign, during which time the site has really grown in profile and popularity," says Tony. "The team is very proud to be associated with such a prestigious website, which covers such a broad spectrum of sports and has such a powerful reach."
