Robbins bidding for SI

Eyes sports weekly

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and best-selling author and motivational speaker Tony Robbins are part of a group bidding to buy Sports Illustrated and other former Time Inc. titles from Meredith, The Post has learned.

Final bids for SI are due Monday at 5 p.m. — and a winner could be named by July 6.

The group is being headed by Joshua Pollack, chief executive of the California-based Velocity Group, who earlier helped run Relativity Media, sources familiar with the talks said on Sunday.

The Pollack group is also interested in buying Fortune and Money, other ex-Time Inc. mags, sources said. Bids for those mags were due June 29.

Since the advent of legalized sports gambling, SI appears to be drawing the most interest from potential suitors. Meredith is said to still be holding out hope that SI will fetch at least $200 million — but industry sources think a sale price that rich is not real- istic as the title’s profit last year was around $13 million.

Jimmy Finkelstein, the owner of The Hill, remains in the hunt for SI, sources said, as is Ari Emanuel, co-chief executive of William Morris Endeavor, a Hollywood talent agency.

Mark Shapiro, co-president of WME-IMG and a former top executive at ESPN, is coordinating the group’s bid, sources said.

The Pollack team has attracted a wide number of advisers and potential investors. Jason Binn, CEO of DuJour Media, a pal of Robbins who hosted his last book launch party, is providing behind-thescenes advice, sources said.

J.R. McCabe, the former head of digital at Time Inc., is also advising, sources said.

The Pollack group may also benefit from financial support from Raine Capital, an investor in Vice Media that is helping round up investment cash for the bid, sources said.

Raine’s two principals, Joe Ravitch and Jeff Sine, could not be reached for comment.

Gilbert could not be reached for comment. A spokeswoman for Robbins confirmed his interest in SI.