Shaq, Swimsuit Models Signal Expansion of ‘Club SI’ Nightlife/Hospitality Brand at the Las Vegas Grand Prix

LAS VEGAS — Earlier this year Sports Illustrated announced the launch of Sports Illustrated Resorts, a line of full-service hotels, residential condominiums and vacation ownership clubs in college towns. The first one is slated to open in Tuscaloosa, Ala., next to the University of Alabama campus in late 2025.

Sports Illustrated is now entering the world of nightlife and hospitality with Club SI. While Club SI will be a three-day venue on the Las Vegas Strip during this week's Las Vegas Grand Prix, the first permanent Club SI is expected to open in 2024 ahead of the Kentucky Derby as part of the $200 million renovations at Churchill Downs, The Messenger has learned. It will include a betting parlor, views of the stables and direct access to the track.

“Club SI is a major priority for us,” Matt Goldstein, executive vice president, entertainment and special projects at Authentic Brands Group, which owns Sports Illustrated, told The Messenger. “We want it to be the next pillar of the hospitality angle of Sports Illustrated. Now we’re in two F1 markets in Austin and Vegas and looking to expand to the Kentucky Derby. We’re just scratching the surface. We’re speaking to a number of different leagues across the world to try and bring that brand to life.”

Shaquille O’Neal and David Beckham, who are equity stakeholders in the Authentic Brands Group, will host a party at Club SI — a $1 million rebranding of the Margaritaville space on the Las Vegas Strip — on Saturday night for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. It’s the start of a busy stretch for the company and O’Neal in Las Vegas.  

O’Neal will host “Shaq’s Fun House,” a Super Bowl party on the Friday night before Super Bowl LVIII at XS Nightclub at Encore Las Vegas. The following night SI will host “Sports Illustrated The Party” at the same venue. They will also be hosting the Sports Illustrated Invitational, a celebrity golf tournament at TPC Las Vegas on the Friday before the Super Bowl and co-producing Rob Gronkowski’s “Gronk Beach” party at Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas on Saturday and Guy Fieri’s “Flavortown Tailgate” event on Super Bowl Sunday outside Caesars Palace, The Messenger has learned.

“It’s non-stop,” Goldstein said. “We’re super excited. It’s going to be an incredible few months in Vegas.”

O’Neal expected Las Vegas would grow when he first planted roots in the city over 20 years ago when he was playing with the Los Angeles Lakers. But he never thought it would become the hottest sports city in the country.

Over the past six years the city has gone from not having a professional sports team to being the home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights and WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces. This week MLB owners are expected to approve the Oakland A’s moving to Las Vegas and last month O’Neal told The Messenger he wants to help bring an NBA team to the city.

“Vegas is one of my home bases and I can attest that there are few places in the world that can put on an event like Las Vegas can,” O’Neal told The Messenger via email. “I got the chance to go to Miami earlier this year and last year I closed out F1 at COTA in Austin last year. In fact, I got to present Max [Verstappen] with his trophy before I did a DJ set for thousands of race fans, post-race. Those who say it’s one of the best events on the sports calendar are not wrong. The excitement is electric.”

Club SI will take place on Las Vegas Boulevard next to Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino with three-story views of the straightaway during Thursday’s practice, Friday’s qualifying and race day on Saturday. The get-in price to see the race has gone down considerably over the past month but tickets for Club SI, which includes three days’ access to the venue, food, beverage, parties, activations, and views of the race are still selling for $7,000.

While the party O’Neal and Beckham will host on Saturday is the headliner, there is some friendly internal competition for who will throw the best party during race weekend. On Friday night, Club SI will have a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Party hosted by Sports Illustrated swimsuit models Nicole English and Brooks Nader.

“It’s going to be the sexiest, hottest, most fun event on the Las Vegas Strip, I promise you that,” English told The Messenger. “I’m hosting it with Brooks so you definitely want to be there. We have the best view of the Strip. I’ve never been [to an F1 race] but I’ve always wanted to go and it being in Vegas will put it on another level and Vegas is already my favorite city. Brooks and I are thinking about staying for Shaq and David’s party. You might get all four of us on Saturday.”