Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, NFL great Peyton Manning and former U.S. President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama are using their storytelling platforms to become a dream team.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the respective production companies — SpringHill, Omaha and Higher Ground — are in talks with the NBA to create a new Netflix documentary series in the style of this summer’s breakout series The Quarterback same. 2023 NFL Season Preview. The premise of the show is to follow the lives of select players and learn how they became one of the few people on the planet to play in the NBA.
Netflix continues to ramp up its efforts in producing sports documentaries and movies, which have become something of a calling card over the past decade. While “Drive to Survive” gets the most attention for its role in popularizing Formula One racing in the United States, Netflix already has a strong library of sports-themed programming, including multiple seasons of “Last Chance U.”
James and Manning, both have made inroads as media storytellers in different areas. Payton and his brother, former New York Giants quarterback Eli, entertain NFL fans on select “Monday Night Football” nights on ESPN2’s “Manningcast.” The Hall of Fame quarterback has produced numerous other shows for ESPN and ESPN+, a streaming add-on for cable TV subscribers. James has a wide range of media projects, from sports shows “The Shop” and “Uninterrupted” to movie series revivals “House Party” and “Space Jam.”
The Obamas have had a production deal with Netflix since 2018, producing “American Factory” and “Becoming” (the latter based on Michelle Obama’s memoir). They ended their partnership with Spotify in 2022, ultimately triggering the audio company’s failed deals with high-profile Black talent like Meghan Markle (and her husband Prince Harry) and former ESPN personality Jemele Hill the trend of.