• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Shot Callers: Dennis Page, CEO, SLAM Media

Since 1994, SLAM has combined coverage of the worlds of basketball and hip hop with steadily increasing success. Now a multimedia company, SLAM continues to cover this intersection of sports and culture in new and inventive ways.

FOS Editor Ian Thomas sits down with Dennis Page of SLAM to discuss the origins of the magazine, the brand’s resurgence in the last two to three years, and what’s on the horizon.

Edited highlights appear below:

On the early days of SLAM (0:53)

Page: “The idea of launching a hip hop basketball magazine had never been done. There were a few other hip hop publications. The Source, Vibe was out for a couple issues and just took that inspiration and just attached it to basketball cause I’m a sick high school basketball fan and just always have a lot of publishing ideas and just put it on the newsstand. It hit from day one and it’s just one of those things that was a success out of the box.”

SEE MORE: Shot Callers: Keith Wachtel, Chief Business Officer, NHL

On SLAM expanding into merchandise (3:49)

Page: “I call myself the oldest Hypebeast in America. I’m very attuned to that. When I bought [SLAM] back, wanted not only to get young in high school but to finally sell a SLAM hoodie and a Slam T. We created our original SLAM box hoodie. Went out, bought I think a hundred orange hoodies off Amazon, slap the logo on it, opened up a Shopify store that afternoon, put ’em up online, sold the hundred probably in two days. Then we were off and running. Simultaneously, we signed a deal with Mitchell & Ness to license the SLAM covers for t-shirts and hoodies. So that was about a year ago that contract was done. We had put out six SLAM cover t’s with Mitchell & Ness…It’s for sale on MitchellandNess.com, it’s in the SLAM store and also sold at retail. Urban Outfitters, Pac Sun and their various retail outlets…It’s doing phenomenal.”

On expanding coverage of women’s basketball (6:05)

Page: “I had the idea about a year ago to launch what became our Instagram channel WSLAM. I was really on the fence with it. Then once I saw the WNBA sort of rebranding and really kind of getting their act together, I figured the timing is better now. So with their relaunch, we’ll start doing more women’s covers on the magazine. There will be women’s merch…We’re working on a deal with, a WNBA licensee to do SLAM women’s covers, cover t’s. So that’s going to happen and we’re all in on women’s. We have a full time editor doing it and original content around girls from a fashion perspective and what they’re wearing to games. So it’s just like, regular SLAM, but for women.”

SEE MORE: Shot Callers: Marcus Spears, Show Host, ESPN

On what’s next for the brand (7:27)
Page: “I think events. We have a draft suite. We just did our eighth year of it which started out as a gifting suite… and now it’s become more of a content opportunity. We still give them SLAM gear and stuff like that, but we really capture content and brought on AT&T as our title sponsor, which is a big deal. So we had AT&T, Stance, Bose, [and Levi’s]… So Levi’s did custom jackets for all the NBA rookies that came through…And then last August we did our first high school all-star game up at Dyckman Park mid August and our second year is coming up this August and we’ll have 20 of the top high school players in the country playing outdoors.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Nov 29, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley (5) celebrates a shot in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Malik Beasley’s Messy Offseason Includes $2.25M Suit From Ex-Agency

The former Pistons player is not having a good summer.
Dewanna Bonner
exclusive

WNBA Cutdown Deadline Could Spur Deals for DeWanna Bonner, Emma Meesseman

The two big-name free agents could find their WNBA homes in July.

New Philadelphia Arena Was Key to City’s Successful WNBA Bid

The forthcoming team will play in a new arena in South Philadelphia.

Featured Today

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.
Seattle Rough & Tumble
June 28, 2025

Women’s Sports Bars Are on the Rise. Survival Isn’t Guaranteed

Some women’s sports bars are cashing in. Others are clawing for funding.
June 27, 2025

Shitposters Have Taken the Reins of Pro Sports’ Official Voices

Meet the social media pros turning sports teams into internet trolls.
Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena
June 26, 2025

Stanley Cup’s International Summer Tour: Rules, Repairs, and Raucousness

No pro trophy tour compares to the NHL’s three-month global victory lap.
Leo Messi

TNT, Club World Cup Ride Messi to Surprisingly Solid Debut Ratings

TNT Sports carries about a third of matches in the U.S.
June 23, 2025

NBA Finals Game 7 Is Most-Watched Since 2019, but Series Drops 9%

Game 7 drew 16.35 million viewers, the most-watched NBA game since 2019.
June 24, 2025

Fever vs. Aces Draws 5th-Largest TV Audience of 2025 WNBA Season

ESPN will carry seven more Indiana Fever games this year.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
June 19, 2025

Pacers Force Game 7, Could Spark Big Ratings Boost for NBA Finals

Game 7 could boost NBA Finals ratings after a slow start this year.
June 17, 2025

Stanley Cup Final Delivers Drama but Struggles for Eyeballs in U.S.

U.S. viewership fell while Canadian audiences for the event rose slightly.
June 17, 2025

Streaming Tops Linear for First Time, Sports Still Key to TV’s Resilience

Streaming hits another critical milestone in an accelerating media transition.
June 17, 2025

Zaslav Takes Pay Cut, TNT Sports Future Unclear in WBD Shake-Up

The TNT Sports parent company retools its executive pay after shareholder pushback.