Hub Arkush

Two suburban newspaper groups are teaming up with veteran sports analyst Hub Arkush to launch a new multimedia platform for Chicago football fans.

Shaw Media and Daily Herald Media Group announced a joint venture Monday with Arkush to cover high school, college and professional football in print and online.

Together they’ll roll out Chicago Football, a glossy magazine to be published weekly during the football season and monthly in the offseason. The first edition, set to debut on newsstands April 7, will focus on the Chicago Bears' preparation for the 2014 NFL Draft.

In conjunction with the partnership, Arkush’s eponymous website has been rebranded ChicagoFootball.com — “powered by Shaw Media.” Chicago Football will be headquartered in the Daily Herald offices in Arlington Heights.

“The NFL's popularity is at an all-time high, and many fans have an affiliation with at least one college and high school program while many follow more than one," Arkush said in a statement. "Chicago Football will be unique in its look at the sport from a geographical perspective, and our singular focus will allow us to go more in-depth than other media.”

Contributors to Chicago Football will include Shaw Media's Kevin Fishbain and Tom Musick, and the Daily Herald's Bob LeGere and John Dietz. Arkush said he plans to hire more staff.

In addition to newsstand sales, the magazine also will be available by annual subscription at ChicagoFootball.com.

Arkush, 61, was editor and publisher of Pro Football Weekly for 35 years until its demise last May. He continues to write for the Sun-Times and appear as a Bears analyst on CBS Radio sports/talk WSCR AM 670 and as an NFL sideline reporter for Westwood One Sports.