Mirror Group Denies Sporting Life Postponement

The Mirror Group has denied reports that it is backtracking on plans to relaunch the suspended Sporting Life paper this Autumn (see Sporting Life To Close).

A Mirror Group spokesperson this morning told Newsline that any suggestions that the project was a ‘dead duck’ were totally untrue and that the Group is completely committed to the project. An October launch, he maintained, was certainly not out of the question.

The racing news-led Sporting Life was suspended by the Group in April this year and its coverage was merged with the Racing Post (see Sporting Life To Close). At this time the Mirror Group said that the paper was likely to be relaunched later in the year as the UK’s first daily sports-only newspaper.

The Sporting Life is a strong and solid brand name, said the Mirror spokesperson, and there is a team constantly working on it. It is understood that a number of journalists and sales staff have already been offered jobs by the paper’s editor John Mulholland and its advertising director Neil Webster.

However, there has been speculation recently that the project is being further delayed. The Mirror, however, says that dummies are still being produced and that the time is being spent to ensure that the project that is produced is “the right shape”. Research is still being conducted and a number of internal deadlines for the relaunch have been set. This could occur anytime between Autumn and next Spring, says Mirror Group.

Mirror Group: 0171 293 3000