ESPN Expands In High School Sports; Acquires SchoolSports Inc., Publisher Of Rise, RiseMag.com

Add this to the growing list of high school sports deals: ESPN (NYSE: DIS) is acquiring SchoolSports Inc., a high school-focused sports media company. SchoolSports is the publisher of RISE Magazine, which claims a circulation of 910,000 nationwide, and RiseMag.com, which offers original content and social networking functions for high school athletes. Other magazine titles include Gridiron, Hardwood and GIRL, as well as the site ESPN said the deal would be used to boost high school sports content across its myriad platforms. SchoolSports CEO Jim Kaufman will stay in his role, reporting to James Brown, SVP-new program development, and Gary Hoenig, editor in chief, ESPN The Magazine. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Release.